A New Player
by Jin Mo-ri
Summary: Being dropped into a world you thought was fictional is both exciting, and scary. Having powers from a totally different fictional world even more so. Well, no matter what happens, it's going to be interesting. Bleach semi-SI with The Gamer elements. Rating may change. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello, and welcome to A New Player, my attempt at a Bleach fic with The Gamer elements. And somewhat of a self-insert. Note that there will be POV changes in the future, I just didn't feel the need to do one here. Flames will not be tolerated, if you have a legitimate critique I welcome it, but if you complain simply because you don't like these types of stories, don't read or rant about them in the reviews. I don't own Bleach or The Gamer. If you like this story or the concept, go read Spirit of the Gamer by stewart92, it's much better then this.

A New Player

Chapter 1

I never thought as much about reincarnation. And then I died. I was just walking home from school when I heard someone scream, so I turned around and for a split second had a front row seat to see the front end of a semi-truck before it splattered me across its window. At least I think it splattered me, I couldn't tell because I was, you know, dead. It was kind of funny, I knew I had died but I wasn't panicking. I just floated in semi-consciousness until I felt the darkness surrounding me wrap around me like a blanket, eventually sending me into blissful sleep. When I woke up I was in the middle of a grassy field, fully clothed and looking like there wasn't a mark on me. I briefly wondered if I had just dreamed getting hit by a truck, or I had been hit by the truck, survived, and was currently either sedated or in a coma in a hospital. I didn't really know which one it was, but I knew that I didn't want to go through it again.

Standing up, I looked myself over, and saw I was still wearing the same red t-shirt and black slacks over pale skin before reaching up and tugging out a few strands of my mostly light brown hair that was often accompanyed by a few streaks of blond. Lifting up my foot to see I was also still wearing my black-and-white sneakers, I placed it back on the ground and looked behind me to find my back pack, I walked over and opened it. Out of all four compartments, I could only find an unopened can of juice and the half eaten sandwich I had for lunch, and two 1000 yen bills (AN: 100 yen = approximately $1). Sighing in relief that the few things I had bothered to bring to school today were still with me, I sat down on the grass and was about to open the can of juice when something stuck out in the back of my head. Yen bills?

My hand flashed to the bills as I dropped the juice and began looking over the bills. Holding them up to the sun light I concluded that yes, they were Japanese yen bills. So this lead to a new question. How the hell had my two $10 bills turned into a pair of foreign bills. That caused me to stop and smile. Of course, I was in a dream. Chuckling to myself, I stared lazily at the bill for a few seconds, wondering where this dream would go from here, when a blue box popped up in front of my face and startled me, causing me to stumble back and trip over my backpack, sending me to the ground. Shaking my head, I began to sit up when a small flash of pain from my arm where a nail sticking out of the ground scratched it caused me to flinch in shock. I had felt pain and judging from the feeling of a tiny amount of liquid developing on the side of my arm, I was also bleeding. Which meant this was real. I felt the urge to scream well up inside me when a rush of calmness fell over me. Okay, so if the bills are anything to go by, I was somewhere in Japan, I was somehow alive, and I don't have anyway to get home. I seriously doubt I could go to the authorities, they would just think I'm insane. Shaking my head, I looked up from to the floating, semi-transparent blue box and read it.

 **You have created a new skill through a special action.**

' **Observe' has been created**

 **Your eyes don't lie. All you need to do is look and you'll find answers.**

 **Observe (Active) Lv: 1 EXP 0.0% - Allows the user to obtain information on the targeted person or object. The higher the level, the more information is learned.**

What the hell? It looks just like the boxes from the Manhwa "The Gamer". But that's impossible. Then again, I was somehow transported to the other side of the world with out a scratch on me after being run over by a semi-truck, so who am I to judge what's impossible? For all I know "The Gamer" was really a biography in comic book form. Besides, it should be pretty cool to have the "Gamer" ability.

"Status." I watched as a new, larger blue box took the place of the old one at the command of my voice. I looked it over as the words ran across the box.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: None**

 **Level: 1 Exp: 0/200**

 **HP: 125/125**

 **MP: 125/125**

 **RP: 300/300**

 **STR: 5**

 **VIT: 5**

 **DEX: 5**

 **INT: 5**

 **WIS: 5**

 **LUK: 5**

 **Points: 3**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

I looked up and down what the world had apparently decided my stats and status would be, I almost whistled at my 'Statuses'. I thought Hakudo sounded familiar, but I decided to discard it. Mulling over my stats some more, I decided to wait before spending my points. After all, the main character from 'The Gamer', Han Jee-Han, used his first points on his STR before he decided to become a mage, and I wanted every last one to count. Wondering if the stats had the same functions as in 'The Gamer', I pushed a question mark in the top right corner of the box and I found myself staring at a new screen.

 **Health Points (HP):**

How much damage a person can take before they die. The amount of HP and rate of regeneration is based on VIT and relevent buffs.

 **Mana Points (MP):**

Mana is the energy used by mages to perform supernatural feats such as spells and other magical techniques. The amount of MP and rate of regeneration is based on INT and relevent buffs.

 **Reiryoku Points (RP):**

Reiryoku is the energy used by both spirits and living beings to perform Kido and other spiritual techniques. The amount of RP is equal to all attributes combined multiplied by ten plu any relevent buffs. Can only be regenerated via resting, certain skills, and certain items.

 **Strength (STR):**

The Strength attribute determines the person's raw physical power. This attribute affects the amount of damage a person can inflict. It also affects a person's ability to reduce damage when blocking and affects the amount of weight they can lift, or throw.

 **Vitality (VIT):**

The Vitality attribute determines the person's overall health. This attribute affects a person's ability to regain health outside of combat and resist damaging status effects such as poison, paralysis, burned, etc. For every VIT point, health regenerates 0.5 every five seconds and increases by 25 points.

 **Dexterity (DEX)**

The Dexterity attribute determines the person's speed and agility. This attribute affects a person's precision, evasion, stealth, subtlety, and ability to land critical strikes. It also plays a large part in the use of weapons.

 **Intelligence (INT):**

The Intelligence attribute determines the person's overall ability to think quickly and innovate. This attribute affects the strength of their Mana, how much they have, and how fast they can recover their Mana. For every INT point, Mana regenerates 0.5 every five seconds and increases by 25 points. Mana is not applied to spirits.

 **Wisdom (WIS):**

The wisdom attribute determines the person's common sense, perception, overall control of their Mana and Reiryoku. It also affects their ability to learn, memorize, retain information, and determines how smart they are. Wisdom also plays an important role in learning certain skills and defending against mental attacks.

 **Luck (LUK):**

The Luck attribute determines the person's overall chance. Luck is unique compared to all the other attributes as it is capable of influencing anything from finding or looting random items and winning money while gambling, to frequency of random critical hits and random events.

As I went over the information I had just been given, a few words stuck in my head. Reiryoku? Kido? Why did those words sound familiar?

Shaking my head, I closed my current window before saying "Skills." As the blue box flickered into existence, I briefly wondered what people would think if they saw a foreigner talking to himself in the middle of a field. Deciding to save my thoughts on my current social standing later, I looked to my new box.

 **Gamer's Mind (Passive) Lv: Max - Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind. Immunity to psychological status effect.**

 **Gamer's Body (Passive) Lv: Max - Grants a body that allows for the user to live the real world like a game. Sleeping in a bed restores HP, MP, RP, and all status effects.**

 **Observe (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 10.0% - Allows the user to obtain information on the targeted person or object. The higher the level, the more information is learned.**

 **ID Create (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Allows the user to create Illusion barriers. The higher the level, the more dungeons one is able to create. Allows those within the barrier to perceive spirits.**

 **ID Escape (Active) Lv: 1 Exp 0.0% - Allows the user to escape Illusion barriers. The higher the level, the higher the chance of escape. Some barriers cannot be escaped from until certain conditions are met.**

Well it's not much but it's a start. Closing the box, I looked at the can of juice on the ground.

"Observe." Upon the word leaving my lips, a box appeared between me and the can.

 **Can Of Apple Juice: A can of juice you can buy from almost anywhere. Restores 25 MP.**

I closed the box before looking towards the sidewalk and spotted a man in a business suit.

"Observe."

 **Business Man**

 **Lv: 1 Exp: 45.80%**

 **HP: 50/50**

 **MP 75/75**

Smiling a bit I looked around for something else to use Observe on, spotting my sandwich and back pack.

"Observe."

 **Half-Eaten Sandwich: A partially eaten beef and lettuce sandwich. Restores 25 HP.**

 **Kyle's Backpack: You've had this thing for two years and it's got a little wear and tear, but it's still in good condition.**

I read out the information before a new thought popped into my head.

"Inventory."

I smiled as a new box with a blank column on the side of a 10x10 square grid and a corner that read '0 yen' popped into existence. Picking up my backpack, I moved it towards the grid. There was a small flash and then the backpack was gone, with one of the squares in the grid now filled with a picture of my backpack. Picking up my money, sandwich, and can of juice, I did the same to them as I did with my pack. Now three squares were filled and the corner read '2,000 yen'.

Closing the box, I briefly wondered what to do next before I remembered the Illusion barriers. It's not like I could get hurt just from creating one. Nodding to myself, I lifted my hand to the sky.

"ID create." Like a shockwave the world suddenly became empty of people and the sky turn into a mixture of orange and purple, bathing the field in a sunset-esque glow. I looked around before I did a fist pump.

"This is so cool! I have got to do this more often." I grinned before I reached to the sky and yelled "ID escape."

Nothing happened. Confused I did it again, only for a pink box to appear in front of my face. Wondering what was going on, I read it out.

 **Cannot escape Illusion Barrier.**

Just as I was about to complain, I heard an animalistic growl come from behind me. Feeling the sweat beginning to form on my skin, I turned my head. The thing was standing hunched over yet still a few feet taller then me, with light purple skin and closed fists that looked like they were wearing large white gloves. But what really drew my attention was the hole in its chest and the large white mask that was reminiscent of a Tiki mask, a full life bar floating over its head. Shaking, I felt Gamer's Mind calm me down.

"Observe."

 **Tiki Mask Hollow**

 **Power Type**

 **Level 5**

 **HP: 300/300**

 **RP: 360/360**

 **A very low class Hollow, its soul was that of a weak will person who could not handle the thought of being dead. Because it was so close when an inexperienced Illusion barrier was cast, it was unintentionally pulled in.**

Hollow. Now it all made sense. Kido, Hakudo, Reiryoku, all of these things were from Bleach. I was in the world of Bleach. I wondered if the reason I wasn't freaking out was because of Gamer's Mind or the fear of the Hollow in front of me just caused my brain to shut down. Or if it was a mix of both.

As the information was entering my brain a second box appeared in front of me with a ping.

 **Observe Leveled up!**

 **Observe is Lv: 2 Exp 55.0%**

 **Recalculating information**

I watched as the box that contained information on the hollow became static for a second before it enlarged and cleared up.

 **Tiki Mask Hollow**

 **Power Type**

 **Level 5**

 **HP: 300/300**

 **RP: 360/360**

 **STR: 15**

 **VIT: 12**

 **DEX: 9**

 **INT: 2**

 **WIS: 2**

 **LUK: 6**

 **A very low class Hollow, its small Reiatsu and low over all strength often cause it to go unnoticed by the shinigami. Because it was so close when an inexperienced Illusion barrier was cast, it was unintentionally pulled in.**

I barely had time to take in the new information when the hollow screeched and charged at me. I barely managed to dive out of the way before the spot that I previously occupied was smashed into by the hollows fist. Getting up as quickly as I could, I made a mad dash for the tree line and ducked behind one of the tree trees as I heard the hollow screech again before it started randomly attacking any where it seemed to perceive me.

I think it was safe to say that the reason I couldn't leave the barrier was because of that hollow, so the only way to get out was to defeat it. And after that I was going to sprout wings, fly, and become the new Soul king. Those were just as likely to happen as me killing that hollow. Calming myself, I took a deep breath in before I clenched my fists. If I was going to die again, then I'm going to go down swinging, chances of winning be damned.

I waited for the hollow to turn around to destroy a random tree before I leapt out of cover and jumped at it. Twisting my body, I kicked out and felt my heel impact the hollows back, sending it stumbling forward. As it did so, I leapt on to its back and started wailing on the back of its head, where it wasn't protected by its mask. No way in hell was I going to break my knuckles hitting this things face.

Rearing back, the hollow began to trash about as I held on for dear life, its arms flailing about. After several minutes of me holding on and getting the odd hit to the back of its head, it gave a particularly strong twist, sending me flying into the air before one of its arms caught me in the side. I felt the air rush out of me as I was sent skidding across the ground. I held my side as the hollow roared, unaware that it had knocked me off.

Looking up, I saw that its life bar was only a tenth of the way down. Pushing myself up, I brought out my status window and looked at my HP.

 **HP: 65/125**

Damn, that thing took almost half my health with one hit. I needed to recover, at least for a little. Pulling up my inventory, I just barely managed to stuff my sandwich in my mouth before the hollow took notice of me. Screeching, it charged at me as I rolled away and dashed towards the park exit/entrance. I almost made it when the hollow landed in front of me and reared its fist back. I barely managed to duck under it before I shoulder checked it, sending it stumbling back before it tripped on the metal bars that lined the park exit/entrance. Taking this as my opportunity, I ran into the building across from the park. Closing the door behind me, I waited out of sight as I heard the hollow screech outside. Sighing, I waited there a few seconds before a box flashed in front of my face.

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

' **Stealth' has been created.**

 **Blend into the shadows and corners of a room.**

 **Stealth (Passive) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - By crouching, the user becomes 10% harder to detect. Overall ability to remain hidden is effected by light available and line of sight. While in Stealth, user cannot walk, run, or jump without breaking Stealth. Crawling can be done, but it reduces rate of detection from 10% to 5%. Stealth does not affect non-visible and non-auditory ways of tracking.**

Well, that's helpful. Now I just needed something that could actually hurt the hollow. I looked around the building, hoping to find something that could help me when a box flashed in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **First Encounter!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Find a weapon in the building**

 **Defeat the hollow**

 **Success: 200 Exp, ID Escape unlocked**

 **Failure: Death**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **?**

 **50 Exp added per bonus completed**

My first quest. I would be happy if not for the fact that it's pretty much asking me to kill myself. Still, the bright side is that I know there is a weapon somewhere in this building. I got up and began looking up and down the empty aisles, trying to find anything that might be of use while glancing out the shop window, my onyx eyes reflecting in the glass as I made sure the hollow wasn't nearby. Near the middle aisle I spotted something poking out from beneath one of the aisle shelves. Reaching down, I grabbed and pulled out about five to six-and-a-half meters worth of iron chain.

"Observe."

 **Iron Chain-Crafting Item**

 **A long iron chain. A crafting item that's uses are far and few between, but are often surprising. Can be used as a weapon. Base Damage: 6**

I might be able to use this, but there might be something more useful around somewhere. Depositing the chain in my inventory, I continued down the aisles. You'd think because it was a store it would have a little more in it. At least I think it's a store, I didn't see a sign when I ran in but the aisles are a pretty good indicator.

I walked down the final aisle, looking at the shelves that surrounded me before I caught a glint of small glint of metal on one of the top shelves. Reaching up, I pinched it between my fingers and pulled it down.

"Observe."

 **Broken (Handle) Kitchen Knife-Crafting Item**

 **A kitchen knife with a busted handle, it's best to either repair it or use it as a crafting material. Can be used as a weapon. Base Damage: 4, minus 4 user HP every attack**

Another crafting item? I get the feeling Gaia is trying to tell me something. Or would it be the Soul King? Either way, there's no harm in trying.

Bringing out my iron chain, I wrapped the end of it around what was left of the knife handle before tying a knot it, which is a lot more difficult with a chain then a rope.

I finished tightening the knot as best I could when the items flashed. When the flash died away, the chain was fused to the dagger handle and a box popped in front of my face.

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

' **Crafting' has been created.**

 **Using hands and tools, you create something new.**

 **Crafting** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp 0.0% -** **Allows you to learn crafting recipes and/or craft freely. The higher the level, the stronger the objects created.**

I didn't have time to close the box when another popped up in front of it.

 **Crafting successful!**

 **Crafted-'Make-Shift Chain Dagger'- Can you even call this a chain dagger? It's basically two pieces of junk stuck together. Requires 8 DEX to wield. Base Damage: 10**

 **Learned 'Make-Shift Chain Dagger' crafting recipe.**

Damn, you mean I have to dump all my points into dexterity if I want to use this thing? Can't I just swing it around?

Sighing, I opened up my status and hesitantly dumped my points into DEX. I looked around status when I noticed a new tab at the top the read 'Equip'. Pressing it, I was greeted with a screen that held a 2-D mannequin with semi-transparent boxes that individually covered its chest, legs, feet, arms, hands, and head, with four more boxes above it's head, labeled 'Accessory'. Inside the boxes on the main body were the exact same things I was wearing. Curious, I scrolled over each of my clothes.

 **Red T-shirt-Defense: 2**

 **Black Slacks-Defense: 2**

 **Black-White Running Shoes-Defense: 1, Running Speed: + 5%**

Nodding my head, I took the chain dagger in my hand and measured out about two feet of chain that was connected to the knife before I gave it a couple of practice twirls. When it finished a new box popped up. Surprised, I skimmed over the small amount of text.

 **Bonus Objective Completed!**

 **Create a crafted weapon with objects found within the store**

 **?**

 **50 Exp added per bonus completed**

Cool, I got a bonus objective. Now I just needed to complete the quest.

Taking a few deep breaths, I slid out of the store, making my way to where the hollow was, or where I assumed it to be based on its screeching. Squeezing up against the wall of the building I was next too, I glanced around the corner and saw that the hollow was looking around and screeching occasionally. When it turned its back to me, I quietly walked out of cover and began twirling the chain dagger above my head, lengthening the chain as it got faster. When I was sure it was going to reach the hollow, I curved my swing and sent the knife part of the chain arcing towards it. I held my breath in and time seem to slow as I watched the blade travel through the air, moving closer and closer beforetime returned to normal and the blade mimicked grey lightning as it carved a slice clean down the hollows back, inciting a pained scream to erupt from it. As I pulled the chain back, two new boxes popped in front of me.

 **Critical Hit!**

 **Rear Hit!**

 **144 damage dealt!**

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

 **"** **Chain Dagger Mastery" has been unlocked.**

 **Capture or kill, you've got the best of both worlds. Just make sure you don't tangle yourself in your own chains.**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery (Novice) (Passive) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Allows user to unlock Chain Dagger skills.**

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

' **Surprise Slash' has been created!**

 **It's not cowardly, it's just good tactics.**

 **Surprise Slash** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Can only be used if an enemy is unaware of users' current position. Causes 20 base damage. Always results in a critical hit if successful.**

I barely had enough time to read the second box before I rolled out of the way of the hollows fist. Jumping up, I swung my chain at it and caught its arm before I ran down one of the nearby alleys, the hollow close behind me. Taking a sharp turn, I spotted a lamp post next to the alleys entrance. Before the hollow could come out of the alley, I swung my chain around the lamp post and pulled, turning the chain into a trip wire that sent the hollow rolling across the concrete when it came out of the alley.

Pulling my chain free, I began to back up while twirling the knife, watching as the hollow got up and let out an ear splitting screech before charging at me again. I swung the knife at it as I jumped out of the way, missing the hollow by a few inches. As I pulled it back, I ducked underneath the hollows fist and swung at its side, creating a good eight inch gash across its side. I almost smiled when the hollow swung its arm and caught me on the arm. I bit back a scream as I clutched it and regained my footing.

I looked up at the hollow as it gave another screech.

"Observe."

 **Tiki Mask Hollow**

 **Power Type**

 **Level 5**

 **HP: 98/300**

 **RP: 360/360**

Good, its only got a third of its life left. But I need to find a way to pin down its arms. If it had intelligence I might be able to recognize a pattern in its attacks but its just swinging wildly.

I dove out of the way of its charge when I remembered how I wrapped my chain around the light post. Hoping to whatever deity ruled would listen, I began to swing the chain over my head, letting out more and more as the hollow reared back and began its charge again. Dodging out of the way of its charge, I lengthened as much of the chain as I could before swinging it in a wide arc around the hollow.

I watched as the chain twirled around the hollows body, immobilizing its arms and undoubtedly pissing it off even more. I stopped myself from letting go of the chain and covering my ears as it let out its loudest screech yet. Finishing its scream, it charged at me, but with its arms immobilized its balance was shot to hell and it rammed its head into a building wall. I didn't bother suppressing the laugh that erupted from my throat as I watched its life bar drop to a quarter before two new boxes appeared in front of me.

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

' **Chain Bind' has been created!**

 **You're not going anywhere without me!**

 **Chain Bind (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Inflicts Upper or Lower Body Paralysis on target or group of targets. Strength of binding is dependent on durability of chain, users STR, and level of skill.**

 **Bonus Objective Completed!**

 **Create a crafted weapon with objects found within the store**

 **Learn two new Skills before defeating the hollow**

 **50 Exp added per bonus completed**

I didn't have a chance to celebrate because apparently the hollow didn't like being laughed at as it began to thrash about, dragging me closer and closer each time.

If it wants to play rough, then I'll play rough too. When I saw it begin to give an exceptionally powerful pull, I let myself get pulled along with it, launching me towards it and allowing me to tackle it with enough force to send it into the ground. Grabbing the knife-part of my weapon from the concrete street, I sat on top of the hollow and brought my knife back and stabbed it into the hollow as deep as it could go before I pulled it back out, repeating the process until its life bar dropped to nothing.

I jumped off as cracks began to cover the hollows body, continuing until they covered its entire body before it gave one last crack and shattered, leaving behind a floating white light, a pile of yen and three links of dimly glowing chain. I watched as the light took the form of a young boy before he looked up to me with a smile.

"Thank you." He said disappearing.

I breathed a sigh of relief before a box appeared before me.

 **Level Up!**

 **Level Up!**

 **Level Up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: None**

 **Level: 4 Exp: 200/800**

 **HP: 175/175**

 **MP: 125/125**

 **RP: 390/390**

 **STR: 7**

 **VIT: 7**

 **DEX: 10**

 **INT: 5**

 **WIS: 5**

 **LUK: 5**

 **Points: 9**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

I suddenly felt all my injuries vanish and my energy return as I deposited my Chain dagger into my inventory. Picking up the cash, I deposited it into my inventory which to my delight now read 12,000 yen. Finally I picked up the chain and used Observe on it.

 **Soul Chain Link-Crafting Item**

 **A soul's essence given form. It's useless on its own, but can be used to create other things.**

I read the description before putting the chain in my inventory and raising my hand to the sky.

"ID escape!" I yelled as the world seemed to pulse before the sky returned to normal, though there were now rainclouds beginning to cover the sun. Walking out of the alleyway and onto the sidewalk I watched as, to my relief, people moved about their daily lives, unaware of what just occurred. I spotted a building with clothes in the window. I noticed that the sign was in Japanese letters that I couldn't understand. So that meant I will probably have to learn Japanese. Oh joy.

Crossing the street with a sigh, I walked in and began browsing the racks until I came across a cheap gray zip-up hoodie. Taking it off the rack I approached the woman at the counter.

"I would like to buy this." I told her, hoping she understood English. She looked at me with a smile as she reached for the hoodie.

"Alright, that will come to 4000 yen, would you like a receipt?" she asked. Okay, so either she's very good at speaking English, or my brain comes with a verbal translator. Either way, I'm happy. I handed her the money I discretely pulled out of my inventory before taking off the tag and zipping the hoodie up, I walked out of the store. I knew that I had to find shelter, and then I had to find out where I was, and when I was in the timeline of Bleach.

"Well, no matter what happens, I know this is going to be interesting." I said to myself as I pulled my hood over my head and began my search for shelter.

AN: And that's the end of chapter 1. If you see any skills that seem OP or you see anything wrong with the grammar, PM me. Until next time, please R&R.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Wow, 26 favorites for one chapter? Thank you! Honestly I didn't think I would break 10 until the third chapter. And now to answer a few reviews that I have got.

 **Zaralann:** Mana might not seem important now, but I've got a very special idea for it that will be used later on in the story.

 **DarkLord98:** That's actually something I had forgotten about when I started this story! Thank you for reminding me about it! It actually helps fill in a little plot trouble I was having.

 **Redripper666:** I really just meant OP for Kyle as he is now, but I know what you mean.

On with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 2

 **You slept on a concrete floor. Your HP, MP, and RP have been restored by 5%.**

I felt a growl leave my throat as I wiped away the message. At least it I had found something dry to sleep on, it was better to sleep in an old warehouse then sleeping under a bench in the rain. Still, I needed to find a better place to stay, or go out and buy a bed.

The feeling of my spine popping into place as I sat up and made my way to the warehouse doors caused a mixture of pain and relief to shoot through me momentarily. Pushing the doors open, I was momentarily blinded by the midday sunlight.

Well, at least it isn't raining. The fact that I found a secluded and, from the look of it, abandoned warehouse on the edge of town had me thanking the Soul King and Gaia in equal measure. I felt my spine pop one last time before I decided to go over what I had christened my 'Grand Plan'.

First, I have to find out where and when I was in the time line. I couldn't really help Ichigo if I was on the opposite side of Japan, so finding out where I was took priority over the when, and that's if they need help at all. For all I know I could have been dropped into the story after the '1000 Year Blood War' arc (AN: The current and supposedly final arc of the series). After that, it was just making stuff up as I go along. It's not a great plan, but I'm happy with it.

Looking down on my current attire, realized that I hadn't check what my hoodie had given me in terms of stat boosts.

"Observe."

 **Cheap Grey zip-up Hoodie-Defense: 4, Cold Resistance + 10%**

Well, that's good to know. I opened up my inventory to grab my soda when I caught sight of my chain dagger. Seeing as how I had unlocked its 'Mastery' I think it's safe to assume that it was going to be my primary weapon. Following that train of thought, I'm going to need to either acquire or craft a better one. And if my experience with games has told me anything, it's that good RPG weapons need high stats. If 8 DEX was needed to wield a chain dagger made up of junk, then I would probably need more to wield better weapons.

I nodded my head at my logic before I dumped my 9 points into DEX. I savored the sudden feeling of my body becoming a tiny, almost non-existent amount lighter as the point change came into effect. Yeah, I could get used to that. Feeling the sudden need to test just how much my new DEX points helped me, I spotted a nearby tree with a large branch sticking out about three meters from the ground. Taking a few steps back, as well as a few deep breathes for good measure, I ran at the tree as fast as I could. Which was faster then I was expecting.

"Oh shit-" I didn't finish as I felt my head impact the tree. Damn it, DEX also increases speed, I'm such an idiot. Maybe putting the points into INT would have been better.

I got up and shook my head a couple of times. Yeah, that probably took a few points off my HP. I need to test out just how much my DEX increased my speed before I try anything else. After measuring out what looked like a hundred meters and placing my hoodie at the 'finish', I took a running position where I believed the start to be.

Let's see, my last 100-meter dash record was 13 seconds, so anything faster then that shows an improvement. I breathed in one last time before I took off as fast as I could.

1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10. I skidded to a stop as I passed by my hoodie. Just over 10 seconds? That can't be right, that's almost on the same level as an Olympic runner! I must have counted wrong.

Ten runs later it had not changed. Just a little over 10 seconds, every time. I was catching my breath when a box appeared in front of me.

 **Due to strenuous exercise, your VIT has increased by 1.**

That's good. Any way, now that I've tested my speed, lets test jumping power. I picked up my hoodie and put it back on as I eyed the tree that I had rammed into earlier. Taking a deep breathe I sprinted towards it, slammed my foot into the trunk, and used it as a platform to rocket up on to the low hanging tree limb. Emphasis on the 'on to' part. I was standing on the branch instead of swinging on it, and the fact that I only had to adjust my balance a few times before I became comfortable only showed just how much those points in DEX had helped.

"Well, this is going to be fun." I wonder if I'm crazy for talking to myself. Then again I was in a world I had previously thought was just fiction and yesterday I had killed a monster from that same fictional world, so maybe crazy was a good thing.

Jumping down from the tree with a thud, I was surprised by how well my body took the force of a three meter jump. I was going to keep experimenting with my new abilities, but the growls from my stomach were saying I needed to eat. After looking over to the direction of the town I was in, I looked at my foot.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I was about to take that step when a box appeared in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **A Search for Answers!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Find out when and where you are.**

 **Success: 75 Exp**

 **Failure: 10 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **25 Exp added per bonus completed**

So even if I don't succeed in the quest I still get Exp? It's a pitiful amount of Exp, but I'm glad to know that failing a mission won't always result in death.

After a few minutes of walking, I found myself standing in front of what looked like the Bleach worlds version of McDonalds. Walking in and waiting in line I walked up to the counter and ordered a hamburger, a large fries, and a large soda to stay.

After paying for my food and sitting down, I decided to get a little more info on what I was eating. I whispered Observe and watched as the box appeared in front of me.

 **Hamburger: A greasy meat patty on a bun. Restores 60 HP.**

 **Large Fries: Deep fried potato cuts. Restores 40 HP.**

 **Large Root Beer: A type of pop flavored using sassafras. Restores 50 MP.**

I was about to start eating when a new box appeared in front of me.

 **Bonus Objective completed!**

 **Get something to eat.**

 **25 Exp added per bonus completed.**

Really? Eating was the bonus objective? I suppose there are worse ways to earn bonus Exp, but still.

After finishing my meal, I began my search for info. I think it speaks volumes of my intelligence that it took me only an hour to think of asking one of the hundreds of people that kept passing me by.

"Excuse me, but I fell asleep on the train and now I'm not sure which town I'm in. Could you tell me?" I asked a young woman that didn't appear to be in any hurry.

"Oh, of course. You're in Karakura Town, just west of Tokyo." Well, that settles where. Now I just need when.

"Thank you very much. Also, if it's not too much trouble, could you direct me to Karakura High school?"

"It's alright, just take the main transit line to Gakuenchō station, and head down 14th street. You can't miss it."

I barely managed to contain my surprise when a box appeared directly in front of my face, between me and the girl.

 **Quest Complete!**

 **75 Exp earned!**

After giving the girl a thank you and closing the box I spent the next hour trying to actually find the main transit station. After buying the ticket I found myself squashed into an uncomfortably crowded train until I arrived at Gakuenchō station and walked down what I assumed to be 14th street.

Lo and behold, there was Karakura High school, looking just it was in the anime, except everyone was leaving because it was the end of the school day.

Damn it, I am not going back to the warehouse after all it took to get here, even if I have to sleep in the goddamn storage shed.

I was about to continue mentally ranting when I caught sight of a certain orange-haired girl walking alongside a short haired Tatsuki. Okay, so I'm defiantly somewhere pre-Fullbring arc, now I just need to find out something more specific. But how the hell am I gonna…oh duh, I can just observe any of the main characters!

"Observe."

 **Orihime Inoue**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: 2 Exp: 27.50%**

 **HP: 75/75**

 **MP: 175/175**

 **RP: Non-spiritually aware**

 **STR: 3**

 **VIT: 3**

 **DEX: 3**

 **INT: 7**

 **WIS: 6**

 **LUK: 6**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Tatsuki Arisawa**

 **Lv: 3 Exp: 34.06%**

 **HP: 150/150**

 **MP: 125/125**

 **RP: 350/350**

 **STR: 6**

 **VIT: 6**

 **DEX: 6**

 **INT: 5**

 **WIS: 6**

 **LUK: 6**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up**

 **Observe is Lv: 3 Exp: 15.00%**

So, only spiritually aware people have RP. That's good, if Orihime isn't spiritually aware yet that means that I'm probably at the beginning of the series or just before. Either way, that means I have more time to train. But how was I going to train? The hollow I killed yesterday was low level, and if I some how managed to go around killing every hollow in sight, the Soul Society will definitely know something's up. Me just being here is going to effect the timeline, but I want to keep it as unchanged as I can until I absolutely have to change it. My best bet for training right now would be my ID Create. I would have to level it up until I unlocked Zombies and Ghosts, but that should be simple enough.

I spent the next few hours just waiting and using Observe on whatever students caught my eye. It was mind numbly boring, but at least Observe managed to level up three times, putting it up to level 6. I still couldn't see people's buffs or statuses, but I figure those will come with time. Finally, as the sun finished setting and the last of the teachers and students left the school, I waited a little bit more and walked over to the now closed school gate.

I felt a smirk cross my lips as I skipped back a few steps, looked around to make sure no one would see me, and took a running start at the gate, jumping with as much energy as I could, allowing me to slam my hands on top of the gate and side vault the rest of my body over it.

Looking back through the gate to make sure no one saw me, I used Stealth just in case there were stragglers in any of the buildings, until I entered the back of the school where the track field was located. Stealth leveled up while I was using it, but I just waved the box away after it popped up. Walking into the middle of the field, I gave one last look around and raised my hand to the sky.

"ID Create." I watched as the sky, for the most part, remain unchanged as what few noises I could hear were suddenly silenced.

"ID Escape." The sounds returned. I repeated the process two more times until a box appeared in front of me.

 **ID Create Leveled up.**

 **ID Create is Lv: 2 Exp: 0.00%**

 **ID Create: Zombie has been unlocked**

 **ID Escape Leveled up.**

 **ID Escape is Lv: 2 Exp: 0.00%**

Good. Now to get some much need training done before I have to break in to the storage shed and sleep on the mats.

"ID Create: Zombies." As the pseudo-shockwave expanded, instead of the sunset-esque light that came with the standard ID, I found myself under a starless night sky. I didn't have to look far for my first zombie as one spawned in a few meters in front of me. If the dress was anything to go by it was either a she, or cross dresser. Either way, I think it's best I get a little more info.

"Observe."

 **Zombie**

 **Level 4**

 **HP: 400**

 **MP: 30**

 **STR: 10**

 **VIT: 8**

 **DEX: 3**

 **INT: 1**

 **WIS: 1**

 **LUK: 0**

 **A walking corpse filled with resentment for the living. Because it was brought back to life with Mana, it doesn't have a soul, which means it doesn't have any RP.**

Ah, that explains why the hollow from yesterday didn't have any MP. You have to be alive in order to have Mana. Or undead, as it seems. I was shaken out of my thoughts as the zombie moaned and began to shuffle towards me.

"Why, aren't you a pretty one. I almost feel sad doing this." I told it as I pulled out my Chain Dagger. "Almost."

I jumped back from the zombie as it tried to slash at me, swinging the chain towards its arm and watching as the blade, due to my inexperience, ended up slicing its hand off at the wrist. Not what I was aiming for, but I'm not complaining.

The zombie just swung at me with its other hand, seemingly unaware of its missing limb. I side stepped and grabbed the handle part of my dagger and plunged it into the zombies skull, watching with a smirk on my lips as it's health bar dropped to half way. Bringing my foot up, I pulled my dagger out and kicked the zombie the zombie away, already beginning to spin my chain in a rhythmic motion. When the zombie pulled itself up, I swung at its neck and sliced through my intended target, the zombie falling at the sudden loss of spinal connection. I smiled as its health bar dropped rapidly.

Only for it to stop with a sliver of health left.

I felt my jaw drop as I took a hard look at the zombie, seeing that the head was now hanging from what was left of its neck via a few small patches of skin and muscle.

"Oh come on! Your head isn't even attached to your spine! How are you still alive!" I ranted as I ran up and punted the zombies head like a football (AN: American football. I'm one of the people who say soccer), sending it flying between one of the fields football posts. I couldn't stop myself from putting my hands up and shouting "And it's good!"

I looked over to where the zombies' main body was only for it so disintegrate, leaving behind a small stack of yen bills and a tooth.

"Observe."

 **Tooth of the Dead-Crafting Item**

 **A dirty and filthy tooth filled with the resentment of the dead. Used for black magic and as an alchemic material.**

I bent down and picked up the yen and tooth when I heard a low groan from behind me, followed by another, and then two more, and then so many I couldn't count. I took a look over my shoulder and found myself staring at a large group of zombies. I didn't think as I dashed away from them, only to find myself surrounded by zombies on all sides.

Shit, there has to be at least forty of them.

I started to spin my chain over my head as the zombies got closer, swinging it out and slicing one zombie that got a bit to close before pulling the chain back and repeating the process on a different one. Glancing over my shoulder, I spun and kicked another zombie across the face, sending it spinning to the ground. I dashed forward to try escaping the lunge of a zombie that managed to get to close to my back, but winced as it slashed its nails across my back. Not bothering to stop my momentum, I jumped into the air and kicked a zombie as I landed before spinning my chain around and slicing open the guts of a group of zombies.

Scared of the prospect of letting another zombie get my back, I started swinging my chain in long circles around my head and body, turning me into what could amount to a large lawn mower.

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up!**

"NOT NOW!" I roared, not bothering to read the rest as my chain swiped through the message to cleave through a part of a zombies' frontal lobe before spinning around and cutting a cross into the zombies head, depleting its life bar to nothing.

 **Level Up!**

"I don't really care at the moment!" I kicked another zombie away and jumped back before spinning my chain around me to clear away any zombies. I killed one with decapitating swipe and shoved another after ducking under its lunge, the shove sending it into a group of zombies that toppled over like dominoes.

There, an opening! I stepped on the fallen zombies and dashed towards one of the perimeter walls, vaulting on top of it as the horde of zombies followed after me and walking into the wall.

I stood there watching as the horde pushed and fell over each other in what I was assuming was their attempt to climb the wall. Deciding that the sight of zombies trying to climb a wall was no longer amusing, I started spinning my chain and quickly whipped one of the zombies across the face, watching his already depleted health bar drop to a quarter.

"They can't attack me. But I can attack them." I felt a maniacal grin stretch across my face as I began slashing at the zombies from my vantage point.

I wonder if I look like one of those cartoon lion tamers that always whipped at the lions from the same two angles over and over again. Eh, who cares, this is too much fun.

 **Level up!**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up!**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 3 Exp: 6.00%**

 **Level up!**

 **Level up!**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up!**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 4 Exp: 4.25%**

I closed the box as the last zombie fell. The ground in front of the wall was now covered in neat little stacks of yen, teeth, and the occasional rib. Surprisingly, no soul stones. Guess the zombies of this world are different from the ones in The Gamer.

"I think that's enough training for one night. I wouldn't want to end up summoning a Legion Zombie." I told myself as I raised my hand to the sky. "ID Escape."

I watched as the ID field disappeared, revealing the starry sky above. Hopping off the wall and putting my chain dagger back into my inventory alongside the new yen and teeth, I walked around the outside of the school until I found the storage shed. I reached for the doors and pulled.

Locked.

I looked around the outside of the shed and spotted a high window. Jumping up, I latched on to the sill and hoisted myself up till my elbows rested on the rest of the sill.

With as much force as I could muster in my position I slammed my hand into the window and shattered it. Reaching around the broken glass, I clicked open the window lock, pushed the window open, and climbed in.

Dropping to the floor, I looked around the dark shed until I made out what I assumed to be the gym mats and pulled one of them to the ground to use as a make-shift mattress before pulling another one down to use as a blanket. I knew I had unused attribute points, but right now I just wanted to sleep.

AN: And that's chapter 2. Same as before, If you see any skills that seem OP (for how Kyle is right now) or you see anything wrong with the grammar, PM me. Until next time, please R&R.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thank you everyone for all your support, it really means a lot to me that all of you are enjoying this story. Also, I used the word 'Sneak' instead of 'Stealth' in the previous chapter, so I went back and fixed it. Now, to answer some reviews.

 **Little Bxrd:** The concept of this particular story comes from the Manhwa 'The Gamer'. If you want to know more you should check it out, it's a really good series.

 **Robynhood13:** In order of questions: Eventually, and maybe. I'm still debating on who Kyle should have a possible pairing with. If I can't decide by the time I start writing the "Soul Society" arc, I'll probably just do a blind poll.

Now, on with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 3

 **You slept in a gym mat. HP, MP, and RP have been restored 15%.**

Still better then a bench in the park. I pushed off the gym mat I had been using for a blanket and rubbed the sleep out of my eye before I sat up in with crossed legs and set my forehead on top of my intertwined fingers whilst my arms rested on my knees, a position I had dubbed my 'Thinking Pose'.

The zombies from last night had given me four new levels, and I was proud of that fact, but a different question plagued my mind.

How strong was I in comparison to all the enemies I needed to fight?

That question left a knot in my gut. For all I know the weakest shinigami in Soul Society is level 50 and I would be nothing but a hindrance to the main characters. I needed a bench mark, and I needed one soon, but right now I had unassigned points.

"Status."

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: None**

 **Level: 8 Exp: 100/3200**

 **HP: 225/225**

 **MP: 125/125**

 **RP: 540/540**

 **STR: 9**

 **VIT: 9**

 **DEX: 21**

 **INT: 5**

 **WIS: 5**

 **LUK: 5**

 **Points: 12**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

 **I looked over my stats as I felt my lips tug into a frown. I know I'm going to be using Hakudo alongside my chain dagger, after all I have some previous training and it would be stupid to not exploit my Intermediate Martial Artist status, but I really disliked how far behind my INT, WIS, and LUK were in comparison to my other stats. I have the points so it couldn't hurt to put a few into them, at least enough that I wouldn't be completely helpless if I had to rely on something non-physical.**

 **I gave myself a grunt of approval while reaching to use my points when a box appeared before me.**

 **By thinking carefully about a future situation, your WIS increased by 1.**

 **Huh, that's good. Now I have more points to spend on other stats. I closed the box before turning to my status and putting 3 points into INT and LUK, 2 into WIS, 1 into STR and VIT, and the remaining 2 into my DEX. Confirming my choices, I was about to continue planning when I heard the door to the storage shed being unlocked.**

 **Shit, I've got to get out of here! Wait, the window! I shot up from my sitting position and raced to the window, jumping and grabbing onto the windowsill before hoisting myself up and out. I landed with a soft thud outside the storage shed just as the door opened.**

 **"** **What the-? God damn it, we just had that window replaced!" I heard a gruff male shout as I pressed myself against the shed wall, intending to wait until they leaved. While doing so, a new box popped in front of me.**

 **Stealth Leveled up!**

 **Stealth is Lv: 3 Exp: 0.00%**

 **Convenient. And it looks like the guy in the storage shed is leaving. Good, now to find someone, or something, I can compare myself too. I waited a little more before I peered around the storage shed to see if I could make a break for it.**

 **I didn't look long before I spotted someone I knew I was going to need to Observe sooner or later.**

"Observe."

 **Ichigo Kurosaki**

 **Lv: 4 Exp: 78.65%**

 **HP: 225/225**

 **MP: 150/150**

 **RP: 410/410**

 **STR: 8**

 **VIT: 9**

 **DEX: 6**

 **INT: 6**

 **WIS: 5**

 **LUK: 7**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

I looked over Ichigo's stats as I began to think. Now I'm certain that I'm before the start of the main series, but I still need to find a more usable bench mark. The only two options I can think of are waiting till I see whatever shinigami patrolled Karakura before Rukia, I find Uryu, or I go to the one man that Aizen considers smarter then him.

Kisuke Urahara. The creator of the Hogyoku and former captain of the Twelfth division.

I sighed as I thought more of the clog wearing ex-captain. Like it or not, the only way I'm going to get any significant training is through him and Yoruichi, not to mention he is the only person I can think of who could really help me impact the storyline with as few repercussions as possible.

Honestly, he was actually one of my favorite characters in the series and I knew that I was going to have to go to him eventually, but considering his personality and trust issues I was going to have to impress him if I wanted any help.

I was so caught up in my thoughts I almost missed Uryu walking towards the school.

"Observe."

 **Uryu Ishida**

 **Lv: 14 Exp: 45.50%**

 **HP: 225/225**

 **MP: 400/400**

 **RP: 840/840**

 **STR: 7**

 **VIT: 9**

 **DEX: 18**

 **INT: 18**

 **WIS: 18**

 **LUK: 12**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up**

 **Observe is Lv: 7 Exp: 12.00%**

Damn, his STR and VIT are nothing special, but everything else is great! And that's good. He's the benchmark I need. I have to consistently be at least as strong as him if I want to make a difference in the storyline.

No. I need to be stronger then he is. I want to be able to fight the Espada on equal ground, without any ones help. And after them, the Sternritter. There is a vast road ahead of me, and I need to stop walking and start running if I want to reach the end.

With that in mind, I need to do a bit more training before I go to Urahara. I suppose I the best way to do that would be ID Create: Zombie, but I can only hunt them for so long before I either fight a Legion Zombie, or I have to move on to the next ID Create field. ID Create: Ghosts.

I was going to continue thinking when a new box popped up.

 **Stealth Leveled up!**

 **Stealth is Lv: 4 Exp: 2.00%**

Huh, I guess even though no one is around I'm still technically sneaking as long as I'm trying to remain hidden.

Sitting up, I walked out through the school gates, ignoring the confused looks of a few late students, and began walking in a random direction as I put my hands in my pockets.

ID Create: Ghosts had yet to be used in The Gamer, so I really didn't have any idea what I was getting into. At least with the zombies, while they were a little different from the ones in the Manhwa, I had a pretty accurate knowledge of their abilities and the boss monster. With the Ghost ID, I had nothing.

I sighed as I looked up to see that I was in front of a park, a group of children playing without a care in the world. I let a small smile cross my lips as I was reminded that not everything in this world revolved around battles to the death. Turning away from the park, I continued over my options. I suppose I could continue to train in the Zombie ID until I could use it confidently enough to challenge the legion zombie, but I don't know how long until the main story line begins. It might start tonight, or in a month, but it's going to start soon.

I sighed to myself before decided that until I was at least confident to catch Urahara's attention I would continue to use the Zombie ID and perhaps the Ghost ID after I unlock it. I was going to continue my train of thought when a bead of sweat I hadn't even realized was there spilled into my eye. Rubbing it away, I suddenly took notice of just how hot it was, and I was wearing a hoodie. Maybe I should think of putting a few more points into INT and WIS.

Noticing a vending machine on the street corner I jogged up and, as discreetly as I could, pulled a 200 yen out of my inventory and put it into the machine. Selecting a bottle of water, I took off the cap and started looking for a place to sit down. I didn't need to look far as I spotted a particularly shady tree in the field across the road, the majority of the ground surrounding it covered by bushes. Walking behind the bushes, I took off my hoodie and used it as a pillow as I laid down in the shade of the tree, hidden from the public view. I felt my eyes growing a heavy as I savored the strange but pleasant mix of a warm breeze and cool shade.

I felt my eyes open again expecting to find myself looking up at an evening sky, but instead found myself standing in a pure white space that reminded me of the door of truth from Full Metal Alchemist, except without the door.

"Hello?" I exclaimed loudly, but didn't even receive an echo in return. I looked around confused before I yelled even louder. Still no reply, still no echo. Frustrated, I drew in more breath to yell as loud as I could.

"You don't have to yell, I'm right here."

I screamed as I jumped away from where the feminine voice originated. Spinning around I found myself staring at a green light the shape of a bowling ball. I just sort of stared at it for a while before I found my voice again. "Um, who are you?"

I heard a laugh originate from the light before it spoke.

"Sorry, it's just I enjoyed your reaction so much. As to who I am, you know me as Gaia."

"Gaia? As in the mother consciousness of all things? Creator of all worlds and things?"

Again the light, or rather Gaia, laughed before speaking. "The same. Though it is not entirely correct to call me the 'creator' of all worlds and things."

"Um, you're going to have to explain things to me, cause I was under the presumption that you made pretty much everything."

"In the simplest way of saying things, I don't 'create' worlds, I simply give them 'shape'. You see, when a being thinks of a world, even if it only has a single thing that is different then their current world and is only thought of for the briefest of moments, the thought of that world reaches out to me. From there, I simply give that world shape. From there, unless the being decides the course of events, the world simply continues on existing, with its own societies and laws of its universe as created through the original idea of that world."

I took all the information I had heard, and surprisingly I understood it. Weighing what I wanted to say, I looked towards Gaia. "Am I right to assume that when you say world, you actually mean the universe that world resides in?"

"Oh I mean more then just the universe it resides in, I also mean all subsequent dimensions. You could think of it like this: each 'world' resides in a bubble, and in that bubble resides all the possible and impossible pasts, presents, futures, universes, dimensions, afterlives, and existences for that world. Some of the more interesting possibilities are when a person thinks of blending two worlds at a time, a 'crossover' as many people call it. Of course, sometimes two or more worlds just happen to have enough of a synchronization at a random moment that they more or less 'bleed' into each other without the need for a being thinking up a base idea. Those are always so fun to watch!"

I just looked at Gaia for a while, wondering whether or not I should be scared of the fact that I'm meeting the existence that allows all the other existences to exist, or that I understand the majority of what she just said. Then a thought popped into my head. "So, why exactly am I in the world of Bleach?"

I could almost see Gaia shrug despite being nothing more then a floating light. "When you've been around since before existence itself existed, you tend to get bored."

I raised an eyebrow before I gave an understanding nod. "So, what are you going to do if I complete the main storyline of Bleach? Send me to another anime world?"

"Pretty much."

I felt my jaw drop as I continued to stare at Gaia before I shook my head and stared at her. "So what happens if I die in this world?"

"You will follow whatever rules of the afterlife of whatever world you die in; ergo, if you die in this world you will be reborn without your memories in the Soul Society, while if you were to die in the Dante's Inferno world you would retain your memories and powers while also ending up in whatever afterlife is deemed fit. Have I answered all of your questions?"

"Yeah."

"Good, cause I wasn't going to answer anymore anyway. Bye!" I couldn't get another word out before I found myself staring up at the night sky through the leaves of the tree I was laying under.

So the reason I was in the world of Bleach was because Gaia was bored? If she wanted me to entertain her she could have just asked. I sat up and assumed my 'Thinking Position'.

Okay, so I just met the being that amounts to the goddess of all goddess', and I now know why I'm here. Now I just need to survive here.

I got up from the ground and put my hoodie back on before I looked towards the field I was next too. Had I just fallen asleep and woken up instead of meeting Gaia, I would have used this opportunity to train. But right now, there was too much going on in my mind. I put my hands in my pockets to start looking for a place to stay when I felt something in my pocket. Pulling the unknown object out, I saw it was a piece of paper with writing on it.

Dear Kyle,

As an apology for dragging you here without any warning, I left a little present for you. Check behind the tree.

Love, Gaia.

Well, at least she was considerate enough to apologize. Next time I meet with her I'll tell her she didn't have to apologize. Following the papers advice, I walked to the other side of the tree to find a box that read 'E-Z made camping tent', a pillow and blanket, and a large yellow book. Curious, I reached down and picked up the book, only to get a notification box.

 **Spiritual Sensing for Dummies**

 **By using this skill book, you will learn the passive skill 'Spiritual Sense'.**

 **Would you like to learn this skill?**

 **Yes/No**

I take it back. I'm gonna make her grovel if she wants me do anything.

I grumbled my complaints about my new boss as I pressed 'Yes'. The book burst into brilliant flames as I felt my head suddenly become filled with knowledge. Okay, that might take some getting used to.

I was interrupted from my thoughts as a new box pinged into existence.

 **A new skill has been learned from a skill book.**

' **Spiritual Sense' has been created.**

 **A seventh sense that allows the user to 'feel' where a being is, and how strong it is in comparison to the user.**

 **Spiritual Sense (Passive) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Range of sense: 5 meters. Increase skill level to increase range, more accurately sense energy, and unlock related skills.**

I suddenly found myself exposed to a whole new sensation as I began to, for lack of a better word, 'feel' all the different sensations that began appearing all around me. It was like I had been wearing a buffer my entire life and I just had it removed.

I continued to revel in my new sense for a minute, sensing the energies of all the little creatures I hadn't taken notice of, feeling like I was surrounded by a bunch of super small heaters.

After letting myself return to the world of the conscious, I grabbed set up the tent next to the tree and settled my head on top of the pillow. I felt myself drift off to sleep, anticipating what was to come the following day.

AN: Hey everyone, sorry for the short chapter. I decided to get most of the information on how Kyle wound up in the Bleach world as well as info on my version of Gaia in one chapter, and I thought a fight scene for the sheer sake of making it longer would just dilute the importance of what was said. Until next time, please R&R.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: To everyone who has read and reviewed this story, thank you so much! I do not own The Gamer or Bleach. Also, I have come to a decision regarding Kyle's pairing, so I am NOT going to be doing a poll on who he ends up with. The fact is that whoever he ends up with is going to be 'jumping' worlds with him (yes, when Bleach story line is complete he will be sent to a different world) because I don't like the thought of separating couples. What this means is that he might not end up with someone from the Bleach universe at all, so don't start asking who it is. Now on with the story, even if I think this chapter is easily the worst yet.

A New Player

Chapter 4

 **You slept in a tent. HP, MP, and RP have been restored 50%.**

I closed the message that appeared as I opened my eyes, enjoying the feeling of my skull resting on a real pillow instead of my arm. Sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I contemplated what to do next.

The first was to find something to eat, then I suppose I could wander around until evening when I could use the Zombie ID, and if I'm feeling confident in my abilities I'll introduce myself to Urahara. Nodding my head, I crawled out of the tent and stood up to face the early morning sun. I looked back to my tent when a thought crossed my mind.

"Inventory." I watched as the grid that contained my items pinged into existence before crawling back into my tent and inserting my blanket and pillow into my inventory before crawling out and doing the same with my tent. "Heh, if this whole Gamer business doesn't work out, I could always open a moving company. I could make a fortune."

Walking out from under the tree, I began my search for food. While I was walking, I savored the feeling of my new 'Spiritual Sense' ability. Its range may have only been five meters, but in the crowded Japanese streets, it was like I was surrounded by tiny candles, each of them steadily waving in directions that differed from person to person. I was continuing to enjoy the feeling when a box popped in front of me.

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Level 2 Exp: 0.00%**

 **Range of Spiritual Sense is now: 10 meters**

I smiled as I closed the box and smiled when I felt, and heard, my stomach remind me that I was in desperate need of food. It took me a good half-hour to find another one of those Bleach style McDonalds when I paused before the entrance of the establishment.

Bleach style McDonalds? That was too long of a title. BleachDonalds? No, that just sounds stupid. McBleachs? Yeah, let's go with that until I learn to read Japanese.

I walked into the newly christened McBleachs and waited in line for a while before ordering a pancake combo with bacon strips and a large root beer to stay. Looking down on my breakfast, I decided to add a bit more experience to my observe skill.

"Observe."

 **Pancake x3: Fried mixture of pancake mix and milk. Restores 40 HP per pancake.**

 **Bacon Strip x2: Fried strip of pig meat. Restores 20 HP per strip.**

 **Large Root Beer: A type of pop flavored using sassafras. Restores 50 MP.**

Satisfied by what I was seeing, I finished my food and walked out of the building before making my way down the street. I wandered aimlessly for a few hours when I caught sight of a small building that had all sorts of different weapons hanging in the windows.

Walking in, I started to use observe on the various weapons and occasional sets of armor that were on display.

 **English Broad Sword – The standard blade that appears in every movie and novel that draws inspiration from medieval Europe. Requires 8 STR wield. Base Damage: 15**

 **Chinese Qiang – A spear originating in China, it is one of the four major weapons of pre-modern China. Requires 10 STR to wield. Base Damage: 18**

 **Japanese Wakizashi – A Japanese short sword once used as a secondary blade by the Samurai class. Requires 7 STR and 7 DEX to wield. Base Damage: 13**

I was going to continue browsing until I came across a display case that held a few particular pieces of armor.

 **Steel Shin Guards – Light armor that protects the front of the shin from injury. Requires 6 STR to wear. Defense: 10. Increase kicking damage by 10%.**

I felt a grin cross my face as I picked up the guards and glanced at the price tag, which read 35000 yen. Opening my inventory, I saw that I had 41000 yen stored away. Ouch, this is going to put more then a little dent in my wallet, but until they become pointless in the face of my future enemies abilities, they would be a good purchase. I continued to browse around with the shin guards in my hand hoping to find a replacement for my chain dagger, but I had no such luck. Walking up to the counter of the store, I gave the clerk the money needed before walking out the door and into a nearby alley.

"Equipment." Moving the guards towards the slot that hovered over my legs. After a brief flash, I looked down to find the guards attached to my shins.

And my pants on the alley floor, leaving me in my underwear. I managed to cover my mouth before I could yell in surprise and quickly exchanged my guards for my pants.

"Shit, so if I want to wear these things I have to run around in my underwear?" I told myself before I looked at one of my Accessory slots. Moving the guards to the first of the open boxes, they disappeared out of my hand and appeared in the box. Looking down I saw that I was still wearing my pants, but the shin guards were now on top of them.

Well, that works. Walking out of the alley, was about to continue my wandering when I felt a new presence directly above me, but unlike all the other presences around me, this one was larger and gave off a colder sensation. My head snapped straight up to try and find the source.

Sitting there on the roof top was a hollow with grey skin and a centipede mask. Fitting of its mask, it had a long but thin segmented body with multiple blade-like arms with barbed tips.

"Observe."

 **Centipede Hollow**

 **Technical Type**

 **Level 13**

 **HP: 400/400**

 **RP: 780/780**

 **STR: 12**

 **VIT: 16**

 **DEX: 10**

 **INT: 17**

 **WIS: 15**

 **LUK: 8**

 **A mid-class hollow that uses its segmented body and blade like arms to catch and kill its prey. Watch out for the paralyzing poison that coats its one-and-a-half-foot long pincers.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 8 Exp: 24.89%**

I didn't have enough time to think of a plan when it leapt from the roof of the building it was standing on to the one across the street.

Feeling my shock fade I sprinted after it across the street, vaulting over a few cars that had stopped in front of me, almost getting hit by a few more in the process.

Weaving through the crowds on the sidewalks, I saw it struggled to keep the hollow in sight as it leapt from building to building. I was about to lose track of it when it suddenly stopped on top of a particularly large four story building. I skidded to a stop in front of the building, looking for some way up as I ran to the building's side and spotted a fire escape. Rushing up the steps I made it to the roof and found the hollow was staring directly at me.

"Did you have fun with our little game of tag? Because I did." Yeesh, it sounds like he swallowed a mouth full of glass. Wait, it knew I was following it? That means…

"This is a trap, isn't it?" I questioned it, already knowing the answer.

"Very astute of you. You see, it's such a chore trying to find a good meal out of all these humans, but it's so easy to trick you hero types into chasing after me." This thing thought that I followed it…because it thought I was being a hero? "Now, be a good little snack and…why are you laughing?"

I couldn't help myself, I just started chuckling as my last thought crossed my mind, and it spiraled into full blown laughter. "You, hehe, thought I followed you because I think I'm a hero? That's a laugh!" I felt my chuckling go down, but my grin refused to leave my face. "Heroes fight for things like justice, honor, or some kind of code. The only reason I'm doing anything in this world is simple…" I whispered "Inventory" under my breath and pulled out my chain dagger.

"I hunt, and fight, because I like too." I felt the hollow glare at me as I began to twirl my dagger in small circles.

"Is that so? Then I will have to correct you on just which one of us is the hunter," I watched the pincers of its mask scissor together "and which one's the hunted."

The two of us didn't move for what seemed like an eternity, my muscles tense as sweat began build on my forehead.

I heard a car horn beep, breaking the tension as the hollow rocketed forward and I dashed to the side to avoid its jaws while swinging my dagger at it, slicing a thin line across on of its body segments. I barely had enough time to pull my dagger back before I had to duck out of the way of one of its bladed arms. I was going to jump back when I found my waist wrapped by the hollows lower body.

"Shi-" I didn't get a chance to finish swearing as I was flung and sent skidding across the roof. I managed to stop myself from falling off the roof just in time to jump up and out of the way of the hollows pincers, allowing me to land on its back. Swinging my chain around the hollows body, I grabbed hold of the two ends of my chain with one hand and tightened my grip until my knuckles turned white. I felt my body being swung around as the hollow thrashed about in every way it could.

I know I'm hanging on for dear life, but I just can't resist. "Yeehaw! Giddy up horsey, giddy up! Yeehaw!"

The hollow reared back and nearly sent me off with a forward lunge, but I managed to grab on to my flailing dagger and drive it in between the hollows body segments. Temporarily stopping its thrashing to roar in pain, I pulled my dagger back and started stabbing at whatever my blade could pierce. I pulled back to stab one more time when the steamrolled across the roof, freeing itself from me and my chain.

"You bastard! I'll rip you apart and devour you one limb at a time!" The hollow screamed at me before lunging at me with its bladed arms. I dove out of the way just in time to avoid the lethal appendages and swung a large arc with my dagger, slicing one the limbs off of the enraged hollow, dropping its health bar down to just under half.

"You'll have to catch me first you overgrown insect!" I yelled as I made another pass with my dagger, this time slashing across the main part of the hollows body. I was about to jump out of the way of another pincer lunge when I was blind sided by the hollows lower body slamming into me, sending me flying to the edge of the roof. I didn't have time to think of wiping my vision clear of stars as I saw the hollow rear back and lunge at me. I barely managed to dive forward and avoid its pincers before stumbling away to get some distance to use my chain, swinging it in a small arc and carving a foot-long gash across the hollows body.

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up.**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 5 Exp: 2.50%**

I quickly wiped away the message and rolled to the side of the hollows bladed arms, continuing to slice into it with small, quick strikes that slowly chipped its health down. Continuing my hit and run tactics for a while longer, I jumped up in the air to avoid a lunge only to watch in shock as the hollow stopped mid lunge and shot up towards me.

Twisting as best as I could I managed to move my body out of the way of the hollows attack, only for a bladed arm to sail up and catch my chain dagger, tearing it out of my grasp and throwing it off the roof. Landing, I looked up to find the hollow glaring at me, its body covered in foot long cuts that refused to stop bleeding and barely a tenth of its health bar remaining.

"Not so tough without your little toy, are you?" At least I think that's what it said; I might have cut up its vocal chords a bit during the fight.

"Still tough enough to kick your ass." Shit, I've barely got any health myself. I need to end this and get something to eat.

The hollow roared as he lunged at my upper body. Sliding under it, I borrowed a page from Rock Lee and drove my foot as hard I could into the hollows underbelly. It didn't send it twenty feet into the air, but judging by its health bar dropping to half of what it had been, the hollow definitely felt the kick. Rolling out from under it, I had enough time to push up from the ground to avoid one arm before I ducked to avoid another.

Jumping back to evade any more attacks I found myself on the edge of the roof corner, with the hollow rearing back to deliver the finishing strike. Looking down on the side of the building, I saw a barren flag pole that was parallel with the ground. It's a gamble, but it's my only shot.

As the hollow lunged for the kill, I jumped off the building and started falling only to reach out and grasp the flag pole, swinging myself back up just as the hollow came over the edge and slammed my heel into the underside of the hollows head, sending it reeling back and causing my upward momentum to stop. Panicking, I reached out and grasped the edge of the roof.

"Whew, that was close." I sighed in relief before hauling myself on to the roof, where the hollows body was already covered in glowing cracks. Walking towards it as it shattered, I stared at the glowing light that I assumed was its purified soul as it took the form of a girl around my age who was dressed in a school uniform. She smiled at me before whispering "Thank you."

And with that, she disappeared. And taking her place was a notification box.

 **Level Up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: None**

 **Level: 9 Exp: 2100/4000**

 **HP: 250/250**

 **MP: 200/200**

 **RP: 670/670**

 **STR: 10**

 **VIT: 10**

 **DEX: 23**

 **INT: 8**

 **WIS: 8**

 **LUK: 8**

 **Points: 3**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

Looking down at where she had been standing, I saw a decently sized pile of yen, nine links of Soul Chain, and what looked like one of the hollows pincers.

"Observe."

 **Centipede Hollow Pincer-Crafting Item**

 **A pincer that continues to produce poison even after being removed from the rest of the body. The base it is surprisingly rounded like that of a handle. Can be used as a weapon. Base Damage: 8, Poison Damage: 0.5 per second for 15 seconds (duration is multiplied by number of injuries, ex: 5 injuries = 75 seconds), 35% chance to cause Paralysis**

Now that is a useful Crafting Item. I lightly picked up the pincer and deposited it in my inventory, then did the same with the chain links and yen. Walking down the fire escape I used to get up to the roof, I spent the next half hour searching for my chain dagger in the alleys surrounding the building before I found it and put it into my inventory. Walking out onto the sidewalk, I saw the sun had begun to descend behind the horizon.

I guess I'll find a place to eat until nightfall, when I can use Zombie ID. After a little searching, I found a McBleachs. Okay, I really like fast food, but I need to find something else to eat. Alas, until I can find something else I'm stuck with it.

Entering the building, I bought three times the amount of the same stuff I bought the day after I came here, this time to go. I figure that I should start storing food and drinks in my inventory just in case I need a quick boost of HP or MP. Or I'm hungry, which ever comes first.

 **For planning ahead, your INT increases by 1.**

Wasn't expecting that, but I'm not complaining.

Walking around until I found an open field, I laid down on the grass, wanting to both wait until night came and to try leveling up my Spiritual Sense by concentrating on the various beings around me without looking at them. It took a while, but eventually it reached level 3. Its range didn't change, but I was just happy that it leveled up at all. I know that if I stayed near people who were spiritually aware it would level up faster, but I don't think the Kurosakis', Tatsuki, or Uryu would appreciate it if I stalked them.

After a little while more, night finally came and the streets were devoid of enough people. Standing up I raised my hand to the sky.

"ID Create: Zombies." As the few stars in the sky were winked out by the expanding ID field, a box appeared in front of me.

 **ID Create Leveled up.**

 **ID Create is Lv: 3 Exp: 0.00%**

 **ID Create: Ghosts has been unlocked**

Well, I guess I know what I'm doing after I beat the Legion Zombie. I waved away the info box and pulled out my chain dagger as zombies began to spawn around me, the feeling given off by them via my Spiritual Sense was something akin to a walking mass of nothingness, like they were pushing away the other energies in the environment.

I dashed forward and stabbed my dagger into the nearest zombies' skull before kicking it away and slashing it across its face, dropping its health bar to zero.

Feeling one of them coming up behind me spun around to its back and kicked out its knees before stabbing my dagger into the back of its skull. Looking around, I saw that the zombies were beginning to converge on me.

Time to do some crowd control. I began spinning my chain around faster and faster whilst letting out more chain until I let it loose in a wide arc, slicing through several zombies before I pulled it back and did the same to the another group. Pulling my chain back one more time, I spun my whole body around, my chain following me while cutting into a few zombies who got too close. I stopped my spin to find a box in front of me.

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up.**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 6 Exp: 3.75%**

I closed the box to see that there were only a few more zombies left, all of them converging on me from the front. This seemed like a good opportunity to start leveling up one of my neglected skills.

"Chain Bind!" I called out as my chain circled around the undead group and pulled them into what was undoubtedly a very uncomfortable position, with their limbs tangled and none of them having any room to move. I stayed like that for a while, pulling the zombies in any which way I saw fit until Chain Bind leveled up twice.

"Well, I think that's good enough for one night." Walking up to zombies, I took my dagger and started stabbing it into their skulls. Not very exciting, but definitely efficient. After finishing off the last of the zombies, I watched as a pair of boxes popped up in front of me.

 **Level Up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: None**

 **Level: 10 Exp: 50/5000**

 **HP: 275/275**

 **MP: 225/225**

 **RP: 710/710**

 **STR: 11**

 **VIT: 11**

 **DEX: 24**

 **INT: 9**

 **WIS: 8**

 **LUK: 8**

 **Points: 6**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

 **A new Title has been unlocked.**

' **Apprentice Zombie Slayer' has been unlocked by: killing over 50 undead zombies**

 **Zombies aren't exactly lovable, but you seem to have a special dislike for them.**

 **Undead take 25% more damage from attacks. Ghosts and Spirits are not included.**

 **Damage from Undead is reduced by 20%. Ghosts and Spirits are not included.**

 **Would you like to equip to this title?**

 **Yes/No**

Sweet, my first Title. I touched 'Yes' in order to equip it before turning to the box with my stats. Deciding to bring up my INT, WIS, and LUK a bit more before I start focusing on my DEX, I put 1 point into INT, 2 into WIS and LUK, and the last point into my DEX.

I was just about to use ID Escape when I sensed a pair of undead behind me. Turning my head, I felt my eyebrows rise up at what I saw.

"Observe."

 **Zombie Dog**

 **Level 2**

 **HP: 200**

 **MP: 25**

 **STR: 5**

 **VIT: 4**

 **DEX: 8**

 **INT: 1**

 **WIS: 1**

 **LUK: 1**

 **An undead dog. Unlike most other types of zombies, it lacks malice towards the living, and simply desires something to eat. What would happen if someone fed it?**

I looked at the description before looking back at the dogs, who simply stared back at me. Taking a note from what I just read, I pulled out one of the burgers from my inventory and tossed it to the dogs, both of which tore into it with gusto before looking back at me, their tails, or at least what was left of them, wagging happily.

I looked at them curiously before I looked over to a trashcan that was at the edge of the field, the lid beside it missing its handle, then at my chain dagger, then back at the dogs. I kept switching between the three before I looked as an idea formed in my head and a grin threatened to split my face in two.

XxxxXxxxX

Ten minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"Mush, doggies, mush!" I yelled with glee as the trash can lid I was sitting on sailed through the streets while I held onto the chains that were tied to the zombie dogs that pulled me along for what I has been about an hour. It wasn't just fun though.

Because they were tied by my chain, my Chain Bind skill leveled up three more times while I was being pulled along, putting it at a healthy level 6. I was going to keep mushing when I saw the boundary of the ID field fast approaching.

"Uh oh." The dogs and trash can lid disintegrated, along with the ID Field, as I passed through the boundary.

My momentum, however, did not.

And so I was sent tumbling and skidding across the night time street until I slammed face first into a wall. I stayed there for a few seconds before I finally spoke up.

"Ow."

After I picked myself up, I decided that tomorrow would be the day I talk to Urahara. Half-an-hour of searching later, I found the field I had used ID Create in and set up my tent and bedding, falling asleep inside soon after.

XxxxXxxxX

The next morning

XxxxXxxxX

After waking up and placing my tent and bedding back into my inventory, I was about to go searching for Urahara when a box appeared in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Find the Hat n Clogs!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Find Kisuke Urahara**

 **Success: 100 Exp**

 **Failure: 25 Exp**

 **No Bonus Objectives**

I spent the next half hour asking random people if they knew of a candy shop run by a man named Urahara, but the most I got was a person saying they might have heard about a place like that in the Tsubakidai district.

I then spent another half an hour trying to find the Tsubakidai district, and then spent even more time talking to more people until I finally found myself in front of the Urahara Shop. I probably should have concentrated a bit more on what was the two largest sources of reiryoku I had yet felt, but I was a little irritated at the moment. Calming myself as best I could, I opened the door and stepped in, only to find myself being stared at by four sets of eyes. Well, three sets and a pair of glasses. How the hell did Tessai see out of those things?

"Excuse me, are you Urahara?" I asked the hat wearing man despite already knowing the answer. It wouldn't exactly do me any good if I somehow knew a man I had technically never met before.

"I am. Now what may I do for you today, sir?" he asked me with a smile on his face, his voice smooth and calm, but I still detected the smallest hint of an edge in it.

"I have something to discuss with you. In private." Yeah, act suspicious in front of the guy who could kill you without getting up. Good Plan.

"Hm? But I'm simply a lowly shopkeeper, what could you possibly need to discuss with me?" His voice may have been light and jolly sounding, but I could feel his steely gaze.

"Well, I was hoping to save this for later but, I guess I can show you now. Inventory." Before they could question my words, I reached into my inventory and slowly pulled out the Soul Chain links, which to my surprise were now all linked together into one small chain, enjoying the sight of Jinta shouting and crawling backwards, Ururu vanishing behind one of the stalls, and the even rarer sight of Urahara looking surprised. Tessai didn't react much, save for his eyebrows shooting up past his glasses. For some added theatrics, I jingled the chain a little bit as I spoke. "Feel like discussing with me now."

Urahara was silent for a little before saying "I suppose I could take a little time out of my busy schedule to talk with you. Please, follow me." I followed him as he lead me into the kitchen area and sat down opposite to him on one of the cushions, the chain now position on the table while the other three inhabitants of the shop looked through the sliding doors that led to the room. "Now, would you mind telling me who you are, and how you know me?"

I felt my anxiety increase as the man spoke, but I knew that I couldn't mess this up. "I'm Kyle Wilson." I took a pause for a second "And you know anyone can Observe your name on the front of the building, right?" I read the box that appeared in front of me as fast as I could, not that it was very difficult.

 **Kisuke Urahara**

 **Title: Mysterious Ally (Level up Observe to see the effects of someone's Title)**

 **Lv: ? Exp: ?**

 **HP: ?**

 **RP: ?**

 **STR: ?**

 **VIT: ?**

 **DEX: ?**

 **INT: ?**

 **WIS: ?**

 **LUK: ?**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 9 Exp: 77.80% (AN: The way my Observe skill works is that the stronger something is, the more Exp it grants.)**

I wish I could say I was surprised, but I kind of guessed that I wouldn't be able to see Urahara's stats.

"I see. Now would you mind telling me how you managed to pull that" he gestured to the chain "out of thin air?"

I had to think carefully. I wasn't going to give him all the info about my powers, I know he wouldn't do the same for me, but right now I don't have much other choice. "First answer me this. How much do you know about video games?"

"A little bit. What does that have to do with your abilities?" He narrowed his eyes at me. This is probably my only chance.

"Everything. You see, I have the ability to live my life as a video game character. By sleeping in a bed, I can recover from broken bones or near fatal injuries instantly. I can store objects like that chain in my inventory, though I'm not entirely sure how it works."

Urahara remained silent for a while his hand moved his cane in odd directions before he looked directly at me. "Show me again."

I nodded and opened my inventory, this time bringing out one of my last two hamburgers and placing it on the table. "You thirsty? Cause I've got three large root beers stored away as well."

"No, I'm fine." He was silent for a while longer as I picked up the burger and began to eat it. I hadn't eaten since I got up. "Tell me, can you store living things?"

"Not that I'm aware of." I answered quickly, my voice becoming more and more unsure of itself the longer I stayed under Urahara's steely gaze.

"I see. Well, I have one final question for you, Kyle. Why did you come to me?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I thought about it. Why had I come to Urahara? In the beginning I believed I needed training, but I've been getting by just fine until now. Was it to have a place to stay? That was part of it, but I think I know what the real reason is.

"Because something is going to happen. I don't know what, or when, or why, but I know something is going to happen. And I need to be prepared. I thought you might be able to help me."

His eyes narrowed even more, now to the point of being almost closed. "And why would you think that?"

"Because you have the largest amount of energy I have yet felt, followed by your friend in glasses and then the two kids. I don't expect you to trust me, but I need your help."

Urahara continued to stare at me before his face lifted up and he smiled at me. "Tell you what; show me something even more interesting then your inventory and I'll help you. I might even hire you!"

I stared at the sudden change in personality given off by the shopkeeper before I shook my head. "Alright, but we are going to have to go outside for it."

I stood up and walked outside, followed closely by the residents of the Urahara Shop. Turning to face my audience, I took a deep breath and held my hand to the sky. "ID Create."

The pseudo shockwave pulsed outwards, turning the late afternoon into sunset. I looked over to see that only Urahara and Tessai were still visible, with Jinta and Ururu nowhere to be seen.

"Remarkable. I felt this place actively trying to force me out as you cast it. It was completely useless, but remarkable nonetheless." Urahara said before turning to me. "What is it called?"

I smiled a bit, reveling in the fact that I knew something that the smartest person in this world didn't. "It's called an Illusion Barrier. I don't know the specifics, but essentially it allows me to create my own little pocket dimension. I can create two variations, but one can only be used at night and I haven't tested the other."

Urahara looked around before looking back at me. "You said it's called an Illusion Barrier, but you created by saying ID Create. Why is that?"

"Another name for an Illusion Barrier is 'Dungeon'. ID Create stands for 'Instant Dungeon Creation. The one we're in now is the standard version."

"And the other two you mentioned?"

"One is called ID Create: Zombies, which as stupid as it sounds really does spawn zombies inside of it, and can only be used at night. The other is ID Create: Ghosts. I haven't used it yet, so I don't know what will happen in there."

Urahara raised an eyebrow when I mention zombies, and looked like he held back a chuckle when I said ghosts. "Zombies? Ghosts? Do you know how insane that sounds?"

I looked at with my own raised eyebrow "You saw me pull a chain from out of thin air and just watched me create a pocket dimension and you find zombies and ghosts to be unbelievable?"

"I didn't say I didn't believe you. I just said you sounded insane." Urahara now had a grin across his face as he pretended to hide it behind his fan. I'm starting to wonder if coming to this guy was a good idea.

"Well, if you wait till nightfall I can simply show you. Until then, I think we should leave the barrier. The kids probably think I just kidnapped you two. ID Escape."

I raised my hand to the sky and watched as another shockwave cleared away the barrier.

After Urahara calmed Jinta and Ururu down, we went back inside and simply waited for night fall, with Jinta glaring at me with suspicion, Ururu vanishing behind the stalls and on occasion Tessai whenever I so much as looked at her, and Urahara questioning me about my abilities. When he asked how I got them, I told him that I didn't know how I got them or how I ended up in Japan. It's not like I could tell him I was given them by a being that makes the Soul King look like less then a speck of dust.

Finally, night came, and I found myself outside once again. I heard Urahara telling Ururu and Jinta to concentrate on not being pushed out of the barrier, before he turned to me and nodded his head. "ID Create: Zombies."

As the stars in the sky were winked out of existence, I looked to see that the kids had managed to stay in the Illusion barrier this time. Jinta looked around before smirking at me as I pulled out my chain dagger as carefully as I could. "What was that supposed to be, some kind of magic tri-" He didn't finish as a zombie spawned next to him, about to attack him when my chain dagger sliced its head clean off.

"I suggest you watch yourself. Zombies are pretty weak by themselves but they can be a real pain when you let them group up." I told him as I pulled back my dagger and caught it in my hand as the zombie shattered to reveal a tooth and some yen. I turned to Urahara, knowing full well I had a grin on my face that would make the Cheshire Cat from Disney's Alice In Wonderland look like he was frowning. "So when do I start working, Boss?"

AN: And so chapter 4 comes to a close. Honestly, I really don't like this chapter, I just couldn't think of any other way to write it. I especially disliked the last part with Urahara. I can do a decent goofy Urahara, I can make an acceptable serious Urahara, but a suspicious Urahara? No way. He just seems so knowledgeable and aware of every situation I just can't picture him as suspecting someone. Anyway, I know it's far from my best, personally I don't even consider it a good piece of writing period, but please R&R.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you everyone who said they enjoyed the last chapter, it really means a lot to me. Now for some reviews!

 **DarkLord98:** Yeah, I used to have 3rd phantom (Beat the main story AND the extra levels), and I realized that it really did fit most types of hollows. Unfortunately it's been a long time since I lost it so I might end up giving some hollows a different type then from the game.

 **Hexal:** In a way he will be, and I have thought of a few worlds but telling everyone would ruin the surprise.

 **Kine X:** Because I'm an idiot who forgot what the difference between INT and WIS was.

Now, on with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 5

"So Gaia, what do you think of my progress with Urahara?" I asked the woman in front of me as I moved my knight to capture her bishop. Back in my world, one of my favorite things to do was play chess, and I was pretty good at it. I wasn't going to be a world champion anytime soon, but I could still give the regional champions a decent challenge before they beat me. It also helped that I managed to convince Gaia to play it with me in my dreamscape which, with a little help from Gaia, was now a mix between the Distortion World from Pokémon Platinum and Laputa from Castle In The Sky, though its empty space was now occupied with an azure sky despite not having a visible sun instead of a curtain of varying waves of purple, with the many land masses and lakes constantly floating in different random directions with some being sideways or upside down. Yet they could still be walked on, with the various bodies of water not spilling a single drop of water despite some of them being upside down, sideways, and some even spinning. In the very core of this world was a massive castle (An: search Google images and type Laputa) that never appeared on the same level as whoever was looking at it. All in all, it was a lot better then just a blank white space with a floor, and I know I would get a good laugh if someone tried to screw with my head and wound up here. Right now, the two of us were sitting outside on opposite sides of an ornate table, a chess board in front of us.

"It's certainly interesting. Though I do wonder why you're so confident about Urahara not kicking you out before the story starts picking up." The woman told me as she moved her rook to take out my knight, only to grumble as I captured it with my bishop. When she materialized into a human form to play chess, she took on the form of a fair skinned girl my age with extraordinarily long light-green hair that skirted the ground when she was standing, wearing a matching sweetheart-neckline dress that spilled across the ground even while seated. How she managed to walk while wear it without tripping or stumbling was beyond me.

"Simple. I'm a mystery he can't seem to solve and until he can figure me out, his curiosity and pride won't let him. Personally, I love to watch his mind drive him insane when his machines and tests don't work against my abilities." I felt a grin spread across my face. He may have been one of my favorite characters, but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy his suffering. "Checkmate."

"Damn." Gaia swore. Apparently 'All-powerful' didn't mean 'All-knowing'. "Well, it's for the best. That red headed boy is going to wake you up soon."

I watched as Gaia vanished in a green flash before I heard Jinta's voice echoing around my dreamscape. I batted my eyes open to find Jinta staring down at me with a box in front of his face.

 **You slept in a warm futon. HP, MP, and RP have been restored 100%.**

"Hey, get up!" he yelled in my face despite being able to see that my eyes were open. To be honest, I never really liked Jinta in the manga. Don't know why, but something about him just ticked me off. I looked at him for a second before deciding what to do.

WHAM!

XxxxXxxxX

5 minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"What the hell! Why do you always hit me when I wake you up, why don't you do it to anybody else?" Jinta yelled at me while massaging a bump on his head as everyone sat around eating breakfast.

"Well, it's bad business to hit your employer," Urahara nodded his head at that "Tessai probably wouldn't notice," The aforementioned mans' glasses seemed to gleam at that "and I would have an easier time kicking a box full of puppies then hitting Ururu. She's too cute to hurt." The girl just fidgeted as her permanent blush got a bit redder. Now I wasn't a loli-con, but I did have a penchant for cute things, and Ururu was childish cuteness taken to the extreme. I may have been somewhat sadistic and maybe a little morally bankrupt, but even I had standards. "So that leaves you as my only option."

Jinta was about to continue ranting when Urahara cut him off. "Kyle, after you finish eating I would like you to meet me in the training room."

"Sure thing boss." I answered back as I returned to eating. It had been two weeks since I first walked into Urahara's shop, and after a week of settling in we had established a sort of schedule. First someone woke me up, then if it was Jinta I would hit him for waking me up, followed by breakfast, then Urahara would take me to the basement training room to perform some form of test, lunch, then we would maintain the store, and finally dinner then sleep.

Calling up my status window, I decide to see how I was doing now that I had gotten some food in my belly.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Apprentice Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 14 Exp: 150/10000**

 **HP: 400/400**

 **MP: 275/275**

 **RP: 960/960**

 **STR: 17**

 **VIT: 16**

 **DEX: 30**

 **INT: 11**

 **WIS: 11**

 **LUK: 11**

 **Points: 0**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

Finishing up my food, I followed Urahara to the back of the store and opened up the hatch that led to the underground training room. I had just finished climbing down the ladder when a box flashed in front of me.

 **You have entered a training area: Urahara's basement**

 **Exp gain +15%, Skill Exp gain +10%**

I closed the box as I felt Urahara stare at me. "I have to wonder, doesn't it get annoying when you get one of your little notices whenever you do any mundane task." He asked me with a small grin.

"You get used to it. So, what do you want me to do today?"

"I would like you to use your ID Create: Zombies after I turn on this detector." He motioned to a large black box with a keyboard and computer screen next to what looked like an oversized telescope. After I watched him tap a few keys on the keyboard, the telescope whirred to life, giving off the low hum of machinery. "Are you ready?"

I nodded my head to him before I thrust my hand up. "ID Create: Zombies!"

I watched as the blue sky of the training field gave way to the starless night of my ID, and then turned to Urahara who was paying attention to the computer screen. Beginning my small walk towards him, I stepped back to avoid a zombie's attack before bringing kicking out its legs and stomping down on its skull a few times, dropping its life bar to nothing. Over the past two weeks, Urahara would leave me to train against the zombies whenever I created used ID Create. Since arriving I had leveled up four times, with my chain dagger mastery a single level away from level 10, were I assumed I would have it max out and obtain whatever was above 'Novice' mastery. I had decided that after increasing my mastery over my chain dagger I would take on the Legion Zombie with the help of Jinta and Ururu, who had yet to actually fight anything in my ID Create because Urahara wanted at least a decent grasp of what I could do before he allowed his wards train within a potentially unstable pocket dimension.

"Intriguing. You're taking energy from all possible sources around you, be it magical or spiritual, and then converting it into a stable form that mimics a soul and body, then when you kill it the energy is filtered through the barrier and turned into near perfect copy of what it was before you killed it. And when you take the barrier down, the energies are dispersed back into the surrounding area." Urahara said as he turned to me. "Mimicking a soul. If Soul Society finds out they'll hunt you down for heresy against the Soul King."

A week after arriving here, Urahara told me about the Shinigami, the Soul Society, etc. and like the obviously clueless human that I am I was completely shocked and awed. Screw half the actors in Hollywood; I deserve an Oscar for that performance.

"So are you going to turn me over?" I asked in a joking manner, though I could feel a knot starting to form in the pit of my stomach.

"Of course not! What kind of employer would I be if I just gave away one of my employees because universal law told me to?" he gasped at me as he cover his hand in a mock gasp. I held back a snort as I remembered that it was only universal in this world.

"A normal one. But then again if you were normal I would be out of a job." I chuckled as I whipped out my chain dagger and sliced a zombies head off. "So, you going to let Jinta and Ururu down here now? I don't think I can stop him from trying to sneak into my barriers for much longer, and you and I both know that Ururu will follow him to make sure he doesn't get hurt and-" I stopped talking as a new presence that was just as massive Urahara's was enter into the range of my senses from on top of one of the large flat-topped boulders that populated the area. After being so close to him and Tessai for extended periods of time, my Spiritual Sense reached level 5 and its range now reached twenty meters. I had no doubts as to whether or not Urahara felt it to, so either it wasn't significant enough threat to warrant his attention, or it was something he was familiar with. And I think I know who it is.

Taking a jogging towards the large rock I jumped up to the top and came face to face with a black cat. Yeah, it's Yoruichi. She looked at me for a little bit before meowing like any other cat, but I wasn't fooled.

"You aren't a normal cat, are you?" I smiled at her with a raised eyebrow.

The shinigami-turned-cat stared at me for a moment before I saw what I assumed was a smirk. "You're right. How did you know?" she said in a deep, masculine voice. I just looked at it for awhile as an evil plan grew in my head as I reached into my inventory to pull out the cat toy I bought a week back for when I met her. Was my plan degrading towards her? Yep. Going to work? Probably not. Was I gonna regret it? Hell no.

"Inventory." I said before reaching in and pulling out the stick with fluff, ignoring what I assume is surprise on the cats face, moving it up and down in front of her. "Kitty want to play?"

The black cat just stared at me. "Did you really think that was going to work?"

"No, but it was still worth a shot."

"What are you doing up here Kyle?" Urahara said as he jumped on to the boulder. "Ah, I see you've met Yoruichi. As you might have guessed…what are you doing with that cat toy?"

"Trying to get the talking cat to play with it."

"You've certainly picked up an interesting stray this time, Kisuke. He wasn't bothered at all when I started talking." Yoruichi chuckled before she decided to humor me by swatting at the toy in my hand. "Where did you find him?"

Urahara chuckled a bit from behind his fan. "I didn't. He came to me."

"Interesting." Yoruichi turned to me "Mind telling me why it's night in here and why there are what appear to be a bunch of zombies walking around?"

I spent the next half hour explaining to her about my abilities and about my ID Create before I cast ID Escape and we all headed out of the training area. How Yoruichi got in or out was beyond me.

"So, your abilities allow you to mimic that of a video game character? If I hadn't seen them I wouldn't have believed it." Yoruichi asked as everyone sat around the table.

"Yeah, it allows me to configure my base physical and mental attributes. It's really kind of broken like that. One of my skills is actually the ability to determine the attributes of something or someone just by looking at them and saying an activation code."

"Oh, I didn't know you could do that. Why didn't you tell me?" Urahara asked me, but I could hear the edge in his voice. I know I shouldn't do what I'm about to, but I don't know when I'm going to get an opportunity like this.

"You never asked." I said with a cheeky grin before looking to Yoruichi as she and everyone else, including Tessai, held back a chuckle. "By the way, the activation code is Observe."

I watched as a box popped up in front of me.

 **Yoruichi Shihoin**

 **Title: Flash Goddess** **(Level up Observe to see the effects of someone's Title)**

 **Lv: ? Exp: ?**

 **HP: ?**

 **RP: ?**

 **STR: ?**

 **VIT: ?**

 **DEX: ?**

 **INT: ?**

 **WIS: ?**

 **LUK: ?**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 10 Exp: 68.50%**

 **Recalculating Information**

I could feel the stares of everyone in the room as I appeared to be making gesture in the air. I watched as the static of the old box cleared into the new one, allowing me to see that only one thing had changed.

 **Title: Flash Goddess (Shunpo speed increased by 75%, damage of Hakudo techniques increase by 50%)**

I felt my jaw drop at her title. 75% and 50% might not have sounded like a lot to most people, but to people who understood video games that was more then a 'little' boost.

"What is it?" Yoruichi asked me before I looked at and told her and all the others in the area what I read,

"I must admit, that is an unusual but nonetheless helpful power, even if it had more then a few blank parts." Urahara told me as he covered his face with his fan. "Could you use it on me?"

"Don't need to. I used it on you the day we met." I said with a small smirk. "You didn't find it odd that I said anyone could 'observe' your sign instead of 'see' or 'look at'?"

Urahara stared at me from behind his fan before he dropped it in a childish pout. "Attitude is not an attractive trait, Mr. Wilson." He pouted as I gave a small laugh, an action shared by the other occupants of the store. Even Tessai looked like he had a laugh in his throat. "Can you at least use it on the others?"

I nodded my head as I gave one final chuckle before turning to the last three occupants of the store. "Observe."

 **Tessai Tsukabishi**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: ? Exp: ?**

 **HP: ?**

 **RP: ?**

 **STR: ?**

 **VIT: ?**

 **DEX: ?**

 **INT: ?**

 **WIS: ?**

 **LUK: ?**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 11 Exp: 54.70%**

 **Ururu Tsumugiya**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: 13 Exp: 67.09%**

 **HP: 300/300**

 **MP: 300/300**

 **RP: 690/690**

 **STR: 14**

 **VIT: 12**

 **DEX: 11**

 **INT: 12**

 **WIS: 12**

 **LUK: 8**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 12 Exp: 1.50%**

 **Jinta**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: 12 Exp: 78.55%**

 **HP: 350/350**

 **MP: 200/200**

 **RP: 660/660**

 **STR: 13**

 **VIT: 14**

 **DEX: 13**

 **INT: 8**

 **WIS: 8**

 **LUK: 10**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

I read off everyone's info before turning to the group. They all seemed to be pretty content with it, except Jinta who was ticked off at how Ururu was higher level. I thought we were done for the day when Jinta, who had settled down after Tessai 'told him to calm down' decided to speak up. "Hey, if you're like a video game character, can you use skill books?"

I raised an eyebrow at him for a while before nodding. "Yeah, but they have to be actual instructions and have titles. I can't learn anything from theories."

Urahara seemed to slouch a little less when he heard that. "So, if someone wrote in a notebook a few instructions on how to do something, you could learn it instantly?" I nodded my head at him.

"Interesting." He said before he took out a notebook from Gaia knows where and started writing on it. Wait, when did I start replacing God with Gaia? I mean, I know that they're essentially the same thing, though I guess Gaia holds more importance. Taking that into thought I guess it isn't too bad to use her instead. Oh crap, she's invading my head. Get out Gaia, get out!

I was interrupted from my inner tirade when Urahara placed the notebook he had been writing on in front of me. I picked it up with a curious eyebrow and a box appeared in front of me.

 **Basic Hakudo Techniques**

 **By using this skill book, you will learn the passive 'Hakudo Mastery (Novice)'.**

 **Would you like to learn this skill?**

 **Yes/No**

I tapped on the 'Yes' button and the book burst into flames, to the shock and surprise of everyone else present, as I gained the knowledge of basic Hakudo.

 **A new skill has been learned from a skill book.**

' **Hakudo Mastery' has been created.**

 **A high-speed fighting style meant to neutralize both single enemies and groups.**

 **Hakudo Mastery (Novice) (Passive) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Allows user to unlock Hakudo skills.**

I was about to tell Urahara that it had worked when a new box popped up.

 **A special skill has been created through high enough stats and related skills.**

' **Shunpo' has been created.**

 **You move faster then the eye can see, appearing and vanishing in a flash.**

 **Shunpo (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Move 10 meters per step. 1 step takes 0.5 seconds. Costs 10 MP per step. Can be used without verbal command.**

I bit back a yell of glee. Shunpo was one of the techniques I wanted more then any other, but I didn't dare ask Urahara about it because I wasn't supposed to know of its existence.

"Is something the matter Kyle?" Urahara asked me before I looked up at him.

"Well, I just learned the skill Hakudo Mastery at the novice level." I told him with a smile. "I also learned another skill as a result of that and high enough stats. Watch."

I looked at the spot just behind Urahara and took a deep breath.

"Shunpo."

I tapped my foot and suddenly found myself in the same spot I had been looking at previously. I quickly looked back to find everyone had a look of shock on their faces, which caused me to start smiling "That was awesome!"

I watched Urahara recover from shock as I voiced my delight, a smile creeping out from above his fan. "Now this is an interesting development. I guess you'll be the one who will be doing deliveries from now on."

"Yeah…wait what!?" I yelled as what he just said sank in to me.

"Come on, we don't have all day. The red box goes to the convenience store on 15th street, the white goes to warehouse on 32nd avenue, and the list is this weeks groceries. Good luck!" Urahara said quickly as he piled everything into my arms and pushed me out the door. I stood there blinking for a few seconds as I processed what had just happened. I gave an angry sigh as my brain finally caught up.

"Damn it, I knew he wouldn't let me tricking him go unpunished." I grumbled before I deposited the items in my inventory. Looking up at the roof of the building opposite to the store, I gave a mental command to perform Shunpo while lifting up my foot like I was taking a step. The environment flashed around me and I found myself on the roof I had been aiming at. "Might as get some practice in with Shunpo."

AN: And that is chapter 5 done. I would again like to thank all of you who enjoyed last week's chapter. Till next time, please R&R.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hurray! 100 favorites! Thank you for liking my story enough that you decided to keep reading it! Also I recently received a question about what I mean by base damage. My version of base damage is the absolute minimal amount of damage a weapon or technique can do when being used with its minimal requirements. This is why Kyle can do so much damage despite his chain dagger having a low base damage: higher DEX means more damage inflicted with it.

 **DarkLord98:** Probably not, due to the fact that Bounts and Quincys are born with their abilities. Kyle might be able to create or learn techniques that are similar, but not the exact same techniques.

 **Kine X:** Yeah, I found out during the time when I wrote the third chapter, but when I tried to write it as 'Hakuda' I developed a mental twitch and it wouldn't go away until I changed it. So for my mental health, I'm going to keep spelling it 'Hakudo'. I know it's not a very good reason, but I hope you can overlook it.

A New Player

Chapter 6

 **Shunpo Leveled up.**

 **Shunpo is Lv: 4 Exp: 2.00%**

 **Distance per step is 160 meters. 1 step takes 0.5 seconds. Costs 10 MP per step.**

I closed the box as opened the door to the shop, the evening sun dropping below the horizon. "Hey boss, the deliveries are done."

"Excellent. Did you get the groceries as well?" Urahara asked as he fiddled with an electrical device that I couldn't make heads or tails of. Nodding my head, I pulled out the shopping bags from my inventory and set them down on the table. "Good. Ururu and Jinta are in the training room waiting for you."

Walking over to the hatch, I was just about to lift it up when a new box popped in front of my face.

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Lv: 6 Exp: 0.00%**

 **Spiritual Manipulation has been unlocked.**

 **Spiritual Manipulation allows you to manipulate Reiryoku in the same way as Mana, and learn techniques that use Reiryoku, such as Kido.**

 **RP can be used in place of MP for certain Skills ex. Shunpo. 1 MP = 5 RP. (AN: Spiritual manipulation is like ID Create: Zombies. It's a skill directly derived from another skill, so using it only levels up the parent skill i.e. Spiritual Sense)**

Huh, I was wondering why I hadn't found any techniques that use my RP. I lifted up the hatch and descended down the steps to the training room, wiping away the screen that informed me of such. Walking up to a small clearing amidst the boulders, I found myself being stared at expectantly by Jinta and Ururu, his club and her cannon sitting next to their respective owners.

"Nice to see you two are eager. You ready?" I asked them as I raised my hand to the sky.

"Hell yeah! Bring on the zombies!" Jinta shouted at me with a manic grin, while Ururu just nodded her head.

"Heh, that's the spirit. ID Create: Zombies." I said as the training room darkened into a starless night sky. I saw Jinta starting to run off and start flailing his club, so I quickly pulled out my chain dagger and caught his legs, causing him to face plant into the dirt.

"What the hell! What did you do that for?" He yelled at me as I withdrew my chain.

"Simple. Invite Ururu and Jinta to party." I casually exclaimed, a grin etching across my face as the pair of kids jumped back from the sudden appearance of a pair of blues semi-transparent floating boxes. "After you select 'Yes', you can go smash some zombies up."

"Um, what is it?" Ururu asked as she pressed the button.

"In the simplest terms? I'm sharing a portion my powers with you. You kill a zombie, and I get a portion of the experience. Consider it payment for using my abilities." I would have continued talking but Jinta had run off the first chance he could, and Ururu followed after him so he didn't get hurt.

I chuckled a bit at the pair's behavior when I recalled my description of my powers. Giving a bit of my power and then getting it back with something extra…

I was pushed out of my thoughts when I sidestepped a zombie and slammed my shin into its skull before performing a flip into the air and slamming my heel into the top of the zombies head, dropping its life to zero. Spinning on the ball of my foot when I touched the ground, my other heel caved a different zombie's head in. Dashing forward towards another zombie, I grabbed the back of its head, pulled down, and drove my knee into its face, repeating the process again to finish the job.

Spotting another zombie about a dozen meters away, I Shunpo'd while kicking out, resulting my kick sending the zombie skidding across the ground until it slammed into a boulder, its life depleted with one hit.

Damn, Shunpo really adds to my attacks, I could get used to this. Spotting a new zombie to kill, I shunpo'd to it while rearing back my fist, slamming it into the walking corpse and killing it in one shot. As the zombie disintegrated, a box popped in front of my face.

 **Hakudo Mastery Leveled up.**

 **Hakudo Mastery is Lv: 2 Exp: 0.00%**

Alright, now let's try multiple targets. Glancing to the side, I saw a trio of zombies beginning to shuffle towards me. I shunpo'd to the closest while bringing up my foot in a side heel kick, before Shunpo-ing above the one beside me and driving an axe kick on to the top of its skull, followed by vanishing and delivering a roundhouse kick to the temple of the last zombie, all of the attacks killing the zombies in one hit.

And it only took a little over 2 seconds.

Looking over to where I sensed Jinta and Ururu, I saw a zombie about to claw the boy. I flashed over to them while kicking the zombie away, earning a thankful glance from the two of them and earning a new level in Hakudo mastery. Looking around the three of us, I saw that we were slowly being surrounded by zombies. Jintas' club and Ururus' cannon might be good for taking out single enemies or small groups in a straight line respectively, but against enemies that swarm from all sides they were at a disadvantage. Good thing I have some skill in crowd control.

"Jinta, Ururu, duck!" I yelled as I brought my chain dagger out and began spinning it over my head, slicing through zombies like a buzz saw. Seeing that my chain had sliced through most of the zombies that were trying to crowd us, I swung my arm to the side while letting out a bit more of the chain, causing it to go from a buzz saw to a whip, separating several zombies torsos from their legs. Feeling my chain wrap around my waist I spun in the opposite direction while pulling the chain up, allowing the chain to behead the last of the zombies that were crowding us.

I stopped my spin to survey the area when a box popped up.

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up.**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 10 Exp: 0.00%**

 **The perk Chain Dagger Mastery (Novice) (Passive) has been upgraded to Chain Dagger Mastery (Adept) (Passive)**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery (Adept) (Passive) Lv: 10 Exp: 0.00%**

 **Chain Dagger damage is increased by 25%, DEX required to wield Chain Daggers is reduced by 5, Chain Dagger Crafting chance is increased by 5%, Minor Mana/Reiryoku manipulation unlocked, Minor Non-Elemental Spell/Kido infusion unlocked**

Oh. My. Gaia. If this is the kind of boost I get simply for reaching Adept rank what kind of boost will I get when I reach Master rank. Or whatever is equivalent to Master rank.

I closed the box with a face splitting grin when I took notice of how the zombies were no longer attacking us. In fact they were grouping up away from us…oh.

"Hey Jinta, do you know what happens when you defeat a certain number of enemies in a single area dungeon?" I asked the boy who looked torn between running towards the zombies and continuing to give me a bewildered look.

"What kind of question is that? Those kind of dungeons usually send the boss monster out." He continued looking at me for a second when his eyes started to go wide, causing me to nod with a smirk. Looking back at the zombie horde, they began to pile on top of each other and fuse into one massive blob before a giant head began to emerge from the pile, followed by a torso, then waist then the last of the zombies melded into its legs. Standing where the horde once stood was now a naked, purple skinned giant zombie.

"Observe."

 **Legion Zombie**

 **Level 34**

 **HP: 13750**

 **MP: 1500**

 **STR: 45**

 **VIT: 55**

 **DEX: 14**

 **INT: 12**

 **WIS: 6**

 **LUK: 0**

 **A giant zombie created when hundreds of zombies meld together for the sake of survival instead of hunger. The collective consciousness of the zombies it is made up of enables it to have some degree of measurable brain function. (AN: If I purposely changed the normal zombies' stats up, what makes you think I wouldn't do the same to the boss)**

Huh, its stats are a little different then I remember, but then again this is a different world.

I was going to start slashing at it with my dagger when a box popped in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **The First Boss!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Defeat the Legion Zombie.**

 **Success: 15000 Exp**

 **Failure: Death**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **?**

 **5000 Exp added per bonus completed**

Normally I would have been surprised to see that much exp, but I was too busy jumping back from a giant undead fist attempting to crush me to care. Skidding to a stop, I turned to the two kids accompanying me. "Ururu, fire at it from atop one of the boulders a safe distance away! Jinta, attack its ankles while I draw its attention!"

"Right!" the two answered. It was probably because they were in a life-or-death situation, but I was glad that they were willing to follow my orders.

"Be careful! It's slow but it can deal a lot of damage!" I yelled before I shunpo'd in front of its face and delivered a kick straight into its eye, jumping away as it reached up to squish the annoyance, ergo me, that had blinded it in one eye. Landing on the forearm of the hand that reached for its face, I twirled my dagger and slashed at its fingers, hoping to slice one of them off its hand. My efforts were reasonably successful as my dagger sliced halfway before it lost its momentum. Pulling back, I was going to finish the job when the Legion Zombie tried to slap me off of its arm with its other hand only to get it caught in an explosion as Ururu blasted it with her cannon. Sending a silent thank you to the young girl, I sliced off the finger I had cut earlier before I shunpo'd on to its shoulder and began slashing at its neck, carving a large chunk out of it.

Seeing its opposing hand moving to crush me, I ran forward and slammed my blade into the meat of its neck before jumping off its shoulder and running across its chest whilst using my chain as a rope. I mentally thanked myself for putting so many points into DEX or I wouldn't have any wear near the proper balance to pull off running parallel to the ground using only a chain and the chest of a giant zombie. I peered down in time to cringe as Ururu hit the massive undead in its lower regions. I know it didn't have anything there, but that didn't stop the universal cringe that all guys experience when witnessing those areas getting attacked.

Rushing up to the opposite shoulder from the one I had been on and landing on it I dove off and began my run on the Legion Zombies' back as it reached around to try and grab me. Reaching the first shoulder, I pulled at my chain, watching with morbid fascination as it carved a long line of blood all around its neck before returning to me as another of Ururus attacks caught it in the chest.

Covering my ears as it let out a garbled roar that launched a thick mist of blood sprayed out of its mouth, no doubt thanks to me slicing up its throat, I looked down to watch Jinta pull his club back and slam it into the Legion Zombies' already mutilated ankle, this time accompanied by the resounding CRA-CRUNCH of an undead bone being broken.

I stabbed my knife into the Legion Zombie so I wouldn't get thrown off as it fell to one knee, blood now flowing out of its neck like a veil of red water. I didn't bother wasting time as my dagger continued to cut chunk after chunk of undead flesh from the massive zombie as another of Ururu's blast struck it clean in the face, tearing its jaw off of one side of its face and the shockwave knocking me off the Legion Zombie and onto the ground on my back. I climbed back on to my feet as the zombie gave out another roar, I was about to begin slashing at it when I saw its other arm throwing one of the boulders in the training room, my eyes flashing to the direction it was aiming at.

"Ururu!" I yelled as the boulder neared its target. I didn't bother thinking as I shunpo'd as close to the wide eyed girl as I could, my chain dagger barely within my grasp, as the boulder was now only a second away from impact. I shunpo'd one last time, aiming directly at Ururu. The boulder smashed into the stone, crushing everything that was under it.

I let out a shaky breath as I landed on a rocky boulder, the eyes of the girl in my arms closed like vices.

"Don't worry Ururu, I got you, you're safe." I said as I set the girl down, her eyes flickering open when I spoke to her.

"Thank you." She spoke with tears in her eyes before she looked over to the boulder that would have crushed her. "Kyle, your dagger."

I glanced over to where she was looking, only to see that in my rush to save her I had dropped my dagger, causing it to be crushed under the boulder. "Eh, that's okay; I've been meaning to replace it. You cannon is what worries me, I doubt that thing comes cheap."

I looked towards Jinta as he tried his best to dodge out of the way of the Legion zombies boulders while trying to get a few hits with his club, but that was proving difficult when he was the only thing it had its attention on. I looked up to where its life bar was, noticing it had less then a third of it left, then I looked back to Ururu. "Stay here, and keep out of sight."

A Shunpo later and I landed on the ground facing of the Legion Zombie just as a box popped up in front of me.

 **Shunpo Leveled up.**

 **Shunpo is Lv: 5 Exp: 3.50%**

 **Distance per step is 160 meters. 1 step takes 0.3 seconds. Costs 10 MP per step.**

I wiped away the message before I flashed out of view for a moment and reappeared by slamming a kick into the Legion Zombies undamaged eye, flashing again as I appeared back on the ground before flashing and kicking the eye I had damaged at the beginning of the fight. I flashed back to the ground as I watched Jinta dash to my side, the Legion Zombie covering both of its eyes as it tried to adjust to what I assumed was blindness.

"Damn it, why won't this guy go down already!" Jinta growled as he took in mouthfuls of air as fast as he could.

"Our attacks are hurting it, but we don't have the stamina to keep this up." I grunted as I went through any heavy hitting skills in my head.

Shit, I don't have any heavy hitting attacks, they're almost all passive and almost all of them use my chain. Note to self, learn some offensive techniques. The only one I have is Shunpo.

Shunpo.

Shun…ko.

My eyes widened. The only technique I could think of that I had even a chance to use was Shunko. Now I just had to teach myself how to use it in the next five minutes.

"Jinta, distract it for a few minutes, I have an idea." I told the red-haired boy before I flickered out of sight and reappeared on a nearby boulder. I took a deep breath as I concentrated on accessing my spiritual energy. For the first few seconds I didn't get anything, but then I began to feel two different sources with the larger, airier feeling one encompassing the other like a shell, while the one in the center was smaller but had a heavier feel to it. I assumed one was my Mana while the other was my Reiryoku. Pulling on the outer layer, I drew it out and began to focus it all in my right arm, the energy entering the appendage causing it to shake. I opened my eyes and looked at my arm as the energy continued to pour into it. Unlike Yoruichi's which took the form of lightning, or Soi Fon's which took the form of wind, mine took the form of an black and white fire with the two opposing ethereal flames spinning and trashing about each other as if they were caught in a storm, with the fire slowly covering the rest of my body. I looked to Jinta as he ducked out of the way of another boulder. "Jinta, move!"

Taking that as his cue, the boy ran from the Legion Zombie as fast as he could, with the giant undead turning to face the sound of my voice. I pulled back my fist as the aura around it seemed to intensify before punching towards the undead boss. "Shunko!"

The swirling mass of black and white energy surged forward with a roar before it slammed into the Legion Zombies' chest, stopping only for a few moments before it blasted through, continuing on and destroying a good hundred meters of rocky terrain. I looked up at the boss monsters' life bar to see it completely drain and what was left of its body beginning to crack. I smiled a bit before my legs gave out on me, falling to the ground with a light thud as a pair of boxes appeared before me.

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

 **'** **Shunko' has been created.**

 **A mix of physical and spiritual might, it can be used as unyielding armor or an attack as fierce and sudden as its name. (AN: For those who don't know, 'Shunko' can be translated as 'Sudden War Cry')**

 **Shunko (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Physical and Spiritual Damage increases by 35%, Physical and Spiritual Damage received is decreased by 25% and consumes 50 RP per second. Can be released in a concentrated wave that deals a base damage of Total RP used. Deals continuous damage for every 3 seconds target is exposed to attack (Ex: A Shunko has a base damage of 600 and the target is exposed for 6 seconds it will receive 1200 damage). Maximum time of attack is 6 seconds. 35% chance of attack backfiring and dealing 75% damage to user.**

Now this is a heavy hitter. Not to mention broken as all hell, but I'm not complaining. Right now I just wanted to get the world to stop spinning. After a few minutes my eyes regained focus as I saw Ururu and Jinta climb on to the boulder I was sitting on while three boxes appeared in front of me.

 **Bonus Objective Completed!**

 **Defeat the Legion Zombie with a non-physical attack**

 **?**

 **5000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Bonus Objective Completed!**

 **Defeat the Legion Zombie with a non-physical attack**

 **Do not allow Jinta and Ururu to drop below 30% HP**

 **5000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Quest Complete!**

 **15000 Exp earned!**

I didn't have much time to celebrate when a fourth box popped in front of me.

 **Level Up!**

 **Level Up!**

 **Level Up!**

 **Level Up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Apprentice Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 18 Exp: 100/30000**

 **HP: 450/450**

 **MP: 275/275**

 **RP: 1020/1020**

 **STR: 19**

 **VIT: 18**

 **DEX: 32**

 **INT: 11**

 **WIS: 11**

 **LUK: 11**

 **Points: 12**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

 **A new Title has been unlocked.**

' **Zombie Slayer' has been unlocked by: Defeating a Legion Zombie**

 **You've seen your fair share of zombies, and defeating a giant zombie shows just how far you've come.**

 **Undead take 35% more damage from attacks. Ghosts and Spirits are not included.**

 **Damage from Undead is reduced by 30%. Ghosts and Spirits are not included.**

 **Gain 15% more Exp from killing Undead. Ghosts and Spirits are not included.**

 **Would you like to equip to this title?**

 **Yes/No**

I tapped the Yes button as Jinta came running up to me.

"Holy crap! That was awesome. You've got to teach me how to do that!" Jinta yelled at me with awe, and a hint of childish greed, evident in his voice. I would have responded if another box hadn't popped up in front of me. Okay, this was just getting annoying. Gaia must really be getting a kick out of these things.

 **Through high enough RP, a new Spiritual Sense skill has unlocked.**

' **Reiatsu' has been unlocked.**

 **Reiatsu allows you to expel your Reiryoku as a form of intimidation or to physically crush the surrounding environment/a specific target.**

"Sorry Jinta, but Urahara and Tessai would kill me if I attempted to teach you something that dangerous. That and I don't feel like it." I smirked as Jinta turned red in the face as Ururu came up to me.

"Um, Kyle…" she began but I stopped her

"I told you its fine; I've been meaning to replace my weapon anyways."

"Um, it's not that." Right at that moment Jinta decided to stop ranting and speak up.

"Hey, what happened to your clothes?"

"My clothes?" I looked down at the front of my clothes to see that they were a little torn up, but nothing serious. Then I looked behind me and saw that the back and shoulders of both my hoodie and my shirt had been completely obliterated. Crap, I forgot about the fact that when Shunko is used, the expelled energy destroys anything on the shoulders and back. "Damn it, now I have to get new ones."

I grumbled for a little before getting up and looking over the two. "Did you guys have any boxes appear in front of you after the Legion Zombie died?"

The two looked thoughtful for a second before a glowing light bulb appeared over Jinta's head. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the boy again only to see that the light bulb was still there.

"Oh yeah, I thought it was a weird attack so I swung at it and it disappeared…what the hell are you doing?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow as I licked my thumb, index, and middle finger before grabbing onto the light bulb floating above his head and unscrewing it from its invisible socket.

"Observe."

 **Inspirational Light Bulb-Stat Upgrade Item**

 **A common gag in most animated comedy shows that appears out of no where and continues to shine even after being unscrewed from its unseen socket. Collect three of them to raise your WIS by one.**

"What is that?" Ururu asked as she stared at the bulb.

"Nothing important, and you shouldn't have swatted that box away. That was what I meant by sharing a portion of my power, it allows you for lack of a better explanation control in which way you grow stronger. First say 'Status'." I let out a small chuckle as the two of them jumped back while my own status bar became visible while I subtly tucked away the light bulb into my inventory. I was thankful that my powers allowed them to see what I was doing or this would have been a lot more difficult. I lectured them for a few minutes on how to use their and watched as they threw in their stat points when I noticed the two of them had only risen two levels instead of my four. Guess that means only I get Quest related Exp. I waited until they were adding their points to there stats before I looked more closely at their statuses.

 **Ururu Tsumugiya**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: 15 Exp: 89.46%**

 **HP: 325/325**

 **MP: 325/325**

 **RP: 750/750**

 **STR: 15**

 **VIT: 13**

 **DEX: 12**

 **INT: 13**

 **WIS: 13**

 **LUK: 9**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Jinta**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: 14 Exp: 92.56%**

 **HP: 375/375**

 **MP: 200/200**

 **RP: 720/720**

 **STR: 18**

 **VIT: 15**

 **DEX: 13**

 **INT: 8**

 **WIS: 8**

 **LUK: 10**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

I didn't think that Ururu would put one point into each stat; honestly I thought she would put them into a mix of INT, WIS, and LUK. Jinta putting all but one point into STR I admittedly was expecting. He probably thought that physical strength was all that was needed to beat most of the people in the world. Ah, the naïveté of youth.

After examining their stats I turned to my own before depositing my points.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 18 Exp: 100/30000**

 **HP: 500/500**

 **MP: 325/325**

 **RP: 1140/1140**

 **STR: 20**

 **VIT: 20**

 **DEX: 35**

 **INT: 13**

 **WIS: 13**

 **LUK: 13**

 **Points: 0**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

"Well now that we have our points sorted out, let's go get our prize from the mob boss." I said before I shunpo'd over to where the Legion Zombie had shattered, revealing a book, three round beakers with red liquid in them, and a few rather large stacks of yen bills.

"Observe."

 **Low Grade Health Potion: A simple and useful elixir for non-life threatening injuries. Restores 250 HP. Tastes like strawberries.**

 **Life Drain Skill Book: A skill book that teaches the technique Life Drain.**

 **Yen (50000): Standard Japanese Currency**

I felt a smile cross my face as I grabbed the skill book, a box opening as I did so.

 **Life Drain**

 **By using this skill book, you will learn the skill 'Life Drain'.**

 **Would you like to learn this skill?**

 **Yes/No**

I mashed the Yes button as quickly as I could before the book burst into flames just as Jinta and Ururu caught up to me while a box appeared in front of my face.

 **A new skill has been learned from a skill book.**

 **'** **Life Drain' has been created.**

 **Sometimes you just need a little energy, and what better way to get it then by taking it from someone else.**

 **Life Drain (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Drain target HP. The closer the user is to target, the more HP is drained. Maximum distance is 5 meters. Base Damage/HP absorbed is 5 per second plus 1 for every meter of distance reduced between target ex.1 meter away equals 9 points drained per second. Uses 12 MP per second.**

I smiled at my new skill before I closed the box and looked to the two kids. "Well team, congratulations are in order. Here is 15000 yen each," I handed the two them two stacks of money before depositing the rest in my own inventory. "And a health potion for each of us. Don't drink it all in one place; those things are hard to come by. Now let's get out of here."

After a quick jog to the ladder the three of us climbed up and exited the training room. As Jinta and Ururu dispersed into the building I walked over to the table that Urahara and Yoruichi, the two giving me an odd glance when they saw the state of my clothes.

"What happened to you? Did you get swarmed by a bunch of zombies?" Urahara asked as he opened his fan. Well, seeing as how I was going to have to use it eventually, I might as well tell them about Shunko now.

"No this was from a new skill I learned, something called Shunko." I said while I scratched the back of my head, hoping to get lessen the shock of my words. It didn't work.

"What?" Yoruichi yelled in disbelief as she pounced on me, sending my back to the ground as she landed on top of me. I know I should have been thinking about how to explain how I learned Shunko, but right now I'm to busy imagining, or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it wishing, about what it would be like if she was in her human form. Curse you, my teenage brain. "How did you learn Shunko?"

"I don't know, it just suddenly popped up after I had mastered Shunpo to level 5!" I told her. If there was one thing I had learned in my life, it was far more believable to tell half-truths then creating a full-on lie.

Yoruichi seemed to stare at me for awhile as she sat back on her legs. I wish I didn't know about her human form, then I wouldn't have such an internal conflict over a technically naked cat girl sitting on top of me...Gaia damn you brain.

"From now on, if you are going to train using Shunko I am going to be watching. Understand?" she may have phrased the last part like a question, but I knew it was an order as I nodded. Apparently satisfied, she jumped off of me and exited the room, only to come back with a white shirt in her mouth that dragged on the floor. "Wear this; after you put it on we'll go shopping for some more clothes for you."

After putting on the fabric the two of us, meaning me and Yoruichi, walked out of the shop to begin searching for a clothing shop that was open at these hours. An hour into my search I came across a junkyard, causing me to stop and leap over the fence in a single bound. After scavenging around for a little I found what I was looking for.

"Observe."

 **High Quality Iron Chain-Crafting Item**

 **A long chain made from high quality iron, it is difficult to break and has a few more uses then its lower quality brethren. Can be used as a weapon. Base Damage: 12**

I deposited the chain into my Inventory before jumping out of the junkyard to face Yoruichi who gave me a questioning look. When I told her that I needed a new chain for my dagger because my old one got smashed, she simply nodded her head and we continued on our way.

After half an hour of searching, we finally came across a clothing store. Walking in while Yoruichi waited outside, I picked out a pair of black shirts that had red tribal designs on the right shoulder and sleeve.

After paying for my new clothes we were heading back to the shop when we passed a costume store. While normally I would have paid it no mind, I spotted two particular articles in the shop that caused a Cheshire grin to stretch across my face.

Well, I was always told I had a thing for theatrics.

AN: Chapter 6 has been finished at last. Also, before anybody starts going on about how Shunko is overpowered, let me remind you that RP doesn't regenerate like HP or MP, so it can only be used a few if not only one a single time, and it has a chance of backfiring on the user. See you next time. Also, because I feel like it, I'm going to include a philosophical quote:

Never say something can't happen to you, or the universe will conspire to do everything in its power to make it happen - Various


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Thank you for enjoying the last chapter everyone! Also, I updated Chapter One to show what Kyle looks like physically (pale skin, light brown hair with blond streaks, onyx eyes). Also I'm going to be changing the story to M-rated soon because it will get bloody in future, among other reasons.

 **DarkLord98:** They're kind of like two sides of the same coin. Bounts drain spiritually while Life Drain drains physically, if that makes any sense. Also, I wouldn't mind a couple of original spells. Not a lot mind you, as Kyle is first and foremost a physical fighter but a few would be appreciated. PM me the spells and I'll have a look.

 **dzbegoun:** I intend to, I just like to give my video game characters a minimal in all their stats before I start focusing on their main stat so if their main stat somehow gets shutdown or rendered useless they still have at least a chance of stalling or escaping their enemy, and since a lot of Kyle is based off of me (a lot but not all) he follows the same style.

 **kenegi:** Sorry about that, I went back and fixed it so now it says that the damage backlash is 75%. Also yes, in my story leveling up does heal HP/MP/RP.

As always, thank you for your support and on with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 7

"Now, begin." Yoruichi commanded as I gave her a nod before turning to the large boulder in front of me. I took a deep breath in as I began drawing on my Reiryoku, watching out of the corner of my eye as the black and white fire that made up the aura portion of my Shunko began covering my arm before spreading to the rest of my shirtless body. I continued focusing until I was completely enshrouded by my aura. I clenched my fist tightly as I brought it back and took aim at the boulder.

"Shunko!" I yelled as I thrust my fist forward, the aura blasting out in the direction of my blast in a twisting, churning wave of energy. Maintaining it as best I could, the energy slammed into the rock and began drilling through it. I thought that I would succeed in destroying it when the wave twisted around itself and launched most of itself backwards, slamming into me and sending me skidding across the training room.

Gaia damn it, that hurt! I can actually feel the smoke rising off my body, that's not supposed to happen! I shakily sat up AND looked over my body. Yeah, there are more then a few burn marks. I was going to continue inspecting myself when a box popped in front of me.

 **Shunko Leveled up.**

 **Shunko is Lv: 2 Exp: 2.00%**

 **Physical and Spiritual Damage increases by 35%, Physical and Spiritual Damage received is decreased by 25% and consumes 50 RP per second. Can be released in a concentrated wave that deals a base damage of Total RP used. Deals continuous damage for every 3 seconds target is exposed to attack Maximum time of attack is 6 seconds. 33% chance of attack backfiring and dealing 75% damage to user.**

The only thing that changed was that I'm now 2% less likely to kill myself? Great, now I just need to repeat the process a few hundred more times and providing Gaia's feeling generous I might just make it through with all of my limbs intact…get the hell out of my head Gaia! And stop screwing with the way I think to myself!

I shook my head free of my current thoughts before I brought up my status.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 18 Exp: 100/30000**

 **HP: 125/500**

 **MP: 325/325**

 **RP: 640/1140**

 **STR: 20**

 **VIT: 20**

 **DEX: 35**

 **INT: 13**

 **WIS: 13**

 **LUK: 13**

 **Points: 0**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

Yikes, it's a good thing I used under half of my RP or I really would be dead. I reached into my inventory and drank my health potion as Yoruichi appeared next to me.

"Do you see why I was worried when you said you learned Shunko?" she asked me as I deposited the empty bottle into my inventory. I could think of a couple uses for it, but I'll save those thoughts for later.

"Yeah, but I knew why just from reading the description. Still, it's a valuable technique and I need to train it. Right now it's my only heavy hitting skill."

Yoruichi just looked and sighed at me. "I know, but right now you should get some rest. Kisuke has something for you. He said it's going to help train you in the more…subtle ways of spiritual manipulation."

"Yoruichi, you're going to spoil the surprise!" Urahara gasped as he walked up to us with a box in his hand. Why did I get the feeling this wasn't going to be pleasant? "Be careful with it, it isn't easy to make."

I opened the box that he handed to me to see a book and…a choker with lights on the side?

"Um, what is it?" I asked as I picked up the book and had a box pop up.

 **Spiritual Suppression**

 **By using this skill book, you will learn the Spiritual Sense skill 'Spiritual Suppression'.**

 **Would you like to learn this skill?**

 **Yes/No**

I tapped the yes button as the two other beings in the vicinity waited for me to finish my actions.

 **A new skill has been learned from a skill book.**

' **Spiritual Suppression' has been unlocked.**

 **Spiritual Suppression allows you to suppress your Reiryoku and subsequently your Reiatsu to remain undetected.**

"Okay, so why did you make me learn how to suppress my energy?" I asked as I put on the choker.

"Simple. You're going to do laps around the training field while suppressing your energy. After I turn that collar on, it will give you a small shock whenever you let too much of your energy out, with the amount of current increasing with each shock." Urahara told me with a poorly concealed smile behind his fan as he revealed a switch in his other hand. "Of course, if you stop running before the training is over I'll manually shock you."

"What!" I yelled as Urahara flipped the switch, which caused a beeping sound from the collar that quickly grew louder until…ZAP "OWW! I thought you said it would be a little shock!" ZAP "YOWW!"

"It is a little shock; that was just a measly 60 amps." (AN: That doesn't sound like a lot, but that's more then ten times the amount of volts needed to kill a fully grown human.)

"60 AMPS!?" ZAP "OUCH! Alright I get it!" I growled as I used my new found skill to draw in the energy I hadn't even realized I had been expelling, causing the beeping emanating from the collar to become quieter and quieter until it stopped all together. Hearing nothing, I let out a sigh of relief and let my concentration slip.

Big mistake.

ZAP "YOUCH!" I yelled before I began focusing again. "Okay, now what?"

"Run, and don't stop until I tell you to." Urahara said as he shook the switch in his hand in an innocent enough gesture. Translation: Run, boy, run!

I sprinted away from the shopkeeper and began my run when ZAP "OWW!" I found out that it was much more difficult to suppress my energy while moving then while standing still. I was beginning to suppress my energy again when a box popped in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Shocking Power Up!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Train using the Spiritual Shock Collar for 1 hour**

 **Success: 2000 Exp**

 **Failure: 200 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **1000 Exp added per bonus completed + ?**

That's not very much Exp for this kind of torturous crap so that mystery prize had better be worth it. I felt my legs begin to slow to a walk as I tried to guess what the unknown bonus reward was.

ZAP "Running!" I yelped as I took off while simultaneously trying to suppress my energy. Forget patting your head while rubbing your belly, this was just nuts. I had to keep alternating between concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, something that until this moment I did without thinking, and pulling in the energy that kept trying to escape from my body. A few minutes into my run a pair of boxes popped in front of my face.

 **Due to strenuous exercise, your VIT has increased by 1.**

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Lv: 7 Exp: 0.75%**

 **Range of Spiritual Sense is now: 25 meters**

Well, at least I know the training is working. Now I just need to survive the rest of it. ZAP "Oh come on! I barely slowed down for two seconds!"

A half hour later the same set of boxes appeared before me.

 **Due to strenuous exercise, your VIT has increased by 1.**

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Lv: 8 Exp: 0.50%**

 **Range of Spiritual Sense is now: 30 meters**

Another half hour later a new box appeared before me.

 **Shocking Power Up!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Train using the Spiritual Shock Collar for 1 hour**

 **Success: 2000 Exp**

 **Failure: 200 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **1000 Exp added per bonus completed + ?**

 **Quest Complete!**

Finally! Now I just have to get this damn thing off of-ZAP…screw it. This thing likes to zap me whenever it feels energy? Let's see how much energy it can stand!

I released my hold on my suppressed energy and began to let it flow out…and then I began pushing it out as I expelled my energy into the terrain around me. ZAP Come on you stupid collar, is that the best you've got! Z-ZAPZAPZAP

I began to expel even more energy, spurred on by a mixture of electrically induced anger and stubborn pride that waged war with the now constant stream of electricity flowing through my body. If Urahara thinks that I'll let this thing keep zapping me without doing anything, he's got another thing coming. I finally reached a boiling point after the collar gave me a particularly vicious shock and I released as much energy as I could muster. ZAPZAPZAP-BANG!

My hand flew to my neck as one side of the collar died in a small explosion, the burning sensation and concussive shockwave causing my head to snap to the side. After the pain subsided, I let my hand drop and glared at the collar that was now located in my palm, the strap of it having been broken from the explosion. I was going to keep glaring when a new pair of boxes appeared in front of me.

 **Bonus Objective Completed!**

 **Overload the collar using Reiatsu**

 **1000 Exp added per bonus completed + Broken Spiritual Shock Collar**

 **Broken Spiritual Shock Collar-Weapon Upgrade Item**

 **A broken shock collar made to sense spiritual energy, it's not in the best shape but still holds a charge. Use it while crafting to add + 5 Electric damage and 5% chance of paralysis to a weapon**

Huh, now I almost feel bad for destroying the damn thing. Almost. I placed the collar into my inventory and Shunpo'd towards the rock where Urahara had been an hour ago. A few 'steps' later I flashed onto the boulder, only to find that no one was there. "Guess that means I have the training room to myself for a while."

I contemplated immediately casting ID Create: Ghosts when I remembered I hadn't crafted my new chain dagger yet. Sitting down on the cold stone I pulled out the Centipede Hollow's pincer and the High Quality Iron chain. I was going to start crafting the two of them when I remembered the collar I just broke.

Pulling the collar out of my inventory I wrapped it around the top of the pincers' base before wrapping the chain around the bottom. There was a brief flash of light. When the light died down, the objects hadn't changed.

What the hell?

 **Crafting failed.**

 **Crafting Leveled up.**

 **Crafting is Lv: 2 Exp: 15.00%**

Oh, that explains it. So I guess I have to keep trying to craft it until I succeed.

Nodding to myself, I unwrapped the chain and collar before waiting a minute and wrapping them around the handle again. There was a brief flash, and when it faded the three objects were still not fused.

 **Crafting failed.**

This may take a while.

XxxxXxxxX

Five minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

 **Crafting successful!**

 **Crafted-'Electric Chain Blade'- An electrified chain dagger with a slightly curved, poison laced pincer for a blade. Requires 20 DEX to wield.** **Base Damage: 20 + 5 Electric Damage, Poison Damage: 0.5 per second for 15 seconds (duration is multiplied by number of injuries, ex: 5 injuries = 75 seconds), 40% chance to cause Paralysis.**

 **Learned 'Electric Chain Blade' crafting recipe.**

 **Crafting Leveled up.**

 **Crafting is Lv: 5 Exp: 5.55%**

Finally, I was tempted to just forget it and fight whatever's in Ghost ID without a weapon.

Standing up, I gave the chain a few practice twirls before I was satisfied. Keeping my new dagger in my hand, I raised the other to the sky. Or roof, if I was being technical.

"ID Create: Ghosts." (AN: Because I'm posting this before the reveal of the Ghost ID in the Manhwa, it is undoubtedly going to be vastly different from the one in the Manhwa)

I watched as the shock wave expanded, covering the roof of the training area in black clouds, giving the area a violet hue as the clouds shifted in an unseen breeze. "Nice atmosphere. Definitely got the creepy factor right."

I continued to stare a bit before I heard a high pitched cackle to my side. Looking over, I saw what I assumed to be the 'Ghosts' of the ID Create.

The upper part of its body was that of a pale, translucent boy around my age wearing a long translucent shirt with a tattered bottom that led down to…nothing. It was just a floating upper body. Instead of fingers, the boy had sharp black claws. The majority of the boy's face was taken up by a massive toothy grin, except instead of normal teeth his mouth was filled with what looked like massive black spearheads while what looked to be glowing, lime colored goop gushing out of the mouth and in between the teeth. His eyes were also beyond massive, the sclera being pitch black while the iris was a mash of red, gold, and purple, and finally the pupil was as white as snow.

"Whoa, you are one creepy little bastard. Observe"

 **Ghost**

 **Level 12**

 **HP: 150**

 **MP: 300**

 **STR: 2**

 **VIT: 6**

 **DEX: 2**

 **INT: 12**

 **WIS: 10**

 **LUK: 4**

 **A malicious spirit present in some form in every culture to ever exist. Physically weak, but they rarely need to worry about getting hurt.**

For being triple the level of the zombies from the last ID I kind of expected…more. I know it says that they're physically weak in their description but still.

I swung at the ghost with my new weapon…and promptly watched as it passed through the ghost as if it was nothing. "Oh. So that's why you don't need to worry about getting hurt."

The ghost gave off another cackle before it shot at me like a bullet. I dashed to the side of the ghost but felt its claws dig into my side. I gasped in pain as my hand shot to my side, the feeling of warm blood flowing over my fingers. The ghost rounded back and flew towards me again, its cackle now resounding through the air.

I flipped over it while vertically swinging my chain, watching with a growing knot in my stomach as the blade passed harmlessly through the ghost. I landed on my feet and brought up my status.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 18 Exp: 3100/30000**

 **HP: 500/550**

 **MP: 275/325**

 **RP: 640/1160**

 **STR: 20**

 **VIT: 22**

 **DEX: 35**

 **INT: 13**

 **WIS: 13**

 **LUK: 13**

 **Points: 0**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

It drained my MP? So either it's just another way to increase the difficulty of the ID, or it doesn't like being on the receiving end of non-physical attacks. But I don't have anything like that except Life Drain and Shunko. Shunko is out, I want to use that as a last resort, and Life Drain requires me to get closer to those wicked claws in order to use it.

Wait, two of the abilities Chain Mastery at the Adept rank granted were Minor Mana/Reiryoku manipulation and Minor Non-Elemental Spell/Kido infusion, maybe that will work.

I clutched my chain and began to draw on one of the energies that I felt reside in me. Considering the airier energy is my Reiryoku, the denser energy must be my Mana. Focusing on drawing out my Mana, I jumped to the side of another charge from the ghost, who after swooping around began looking at me with its head slowly moving from side to side as if it were examining me. I ignored it as I focused on drawing out my Mana, pulling it into my arm before willing it to enter into my chain. For a second nothing happened, but then I felt the Mana draining out of my arm and into the chain. Opening my eyes I saw that the weapon now had a glowing outline that wrapped around each individual chain link.

I twirled it once before I looked to the ghost, whose head was no longer moving. He stared at me for a moment before he let loose another cackle and launched himself at me with gusto as I leaped to the side while swinging my blade up. Only this time, instead of just passing through him, the curved dagger latched onto the ghosts shoulder and tore the arm clean off, spraying the glowing green liquid that had been coming out of his mouth all over the training area as the limb flopped across the ground. I watched as his health dropped to under half, and if I'm not mistaken its continuing to drop thanks to the poison produced by my blade. Thank you, Centipede hollow.

The ghost stopped his charge and looked at where his arm had been with the same insane grin as if it hadn't even registered that it had lost a limb, before looking at me, and then back to where its limb should have been. In a duel most would have waited for their opponent to overcome their shock.

But this wasn't a duel and the ghost wasn't my opponent. This was a hunt, and the ghost was my prey.

"Chain Bind!" I yelled as my chain wrapped around the ghost as it frantically tried to break out before I grabbed the chain with both hands "Now for a little test, Life Drain!"

I watched as the chain was enveloped in a red aura that appeared where my hands were and shot forward, consuming each chain link one at a time at an increasing speed until it reached the ghost, causing the red aura to race along the chain like a snake coiling around its prey. I watched as the glow of the chain links that were touching the ghost intensified, the ghosts HP slowly beginning to drop as I felt the wounds on my side begin to emit the sensation of being, for lack of a better term, 'knit' together. As I relished the sensation, a box appeared before me.

 **Life Drain Leveled up.**

 **Life Drain is Lv: 2 Exp: 0.00%**

 **Notice: When used with a chain, each link that is in direct contact with enemy absorbs 0.3 HP and uses 0.4 MP per second.**

 **Okay, so the move's parameters didn't change, but at least now I know how effective it is with my chain. Hell, it's actually more effective with my chain because it doesn't have a distance limit!**

I watched as the last of the ghosts' health drained away to nothing, causing cracks to appear all across its body from where my chains were touching it that continued to spread until the ghost shattered, leaving behind a small stack of yen and one of its black claws. Walking over I deposited the money into my inventory before using Observe on the tooth.

 **Ghostly Claw-Crafting Item**

 **A claw from a childish but nonetheless malevolent spirit. Used for armor and accessories.**

Armor and accessories? I could see making a necklace of claws but what kind of armor would you make out of this thing?

I deposited the claw in my inventory and stood up, only to hear the cackle of another ghost, followed by another, and another, until there was a small symphony of high pitched cackling. Turning around, I saw that there was now a group of twelve ghosts of various appearances, all of them being only an upper body accompanied with the same grin, claws, and eyes as the first ghost.

"Okay, now we're talking." I exclaimed as I began twirling my chain dagger around as it began emitting the same glow as when I chopped of the first ghosts' arm.

The ghosts stood still for a moment before they shot towards me like a swarm of bees. Jumping over the first one I slashed it across its back before dashing to the side to avoid a second ghost, only to have a third to slice my back open. Rolling forward to avoid further damage I swung my blade around my head in a circle, clipping several of the ghosts with the wide ranging attack. I shunpo'd into the air above the ghosts and swung at the closest one, slicing off one of its arms before using Shunpo to flash forward and grab my dagger just after it sliced off the ghosts' limb and driving the blade through the area where its heart would have been, dropping its life bar to nothing. I vanished from sight again as I reappeared on the ground, swinging my chain down with me and splitting a ghost clean in half. I saw one of the ghosts shooting towards me out of the corner of my eye, so I swung at it, only for my blade to phase harmlessly through it.

"Shit, I'm out of MP!" I cursed as I tried to jump away from the ghosts' attack, causing its claws to slice through my thigh. I wobbled a bit on my leg as I landed, and immediately regretted the moment of hesitation as a ghost grabbed me from behind and dug its claws into my arms before rearing back and chomping down on my shoulder. I yelled out as its teeth dug into my shoulder, gnawing on it like a dog on a bone, as another ghost latched onto my leg and bit into it.

Concentrating as hard as I could through the pain, I drew on my Reiryoku. Yoruichi would be pissed if she finds out, but better that then being killed. I felt the ghosts launch themselves off of me as I enveloped myself in the black and white aura. I didn't give them the chance to recover from what I assumed to be shock as I pushed my reiryoku into my chain and swung it as hard as I could towards the group of ghosts, splitting two of them in half as their life bars dropped to nothing. That seemed to snap the rest of the ghosts out of their shock as they rushed towards me with their claws out.

"You guys want to play rough? Okay, let's play rough." I growled as I drew my fist back before shooting it towards the ghosts. "Shunko!"

I felt most of my energy flare out and explode forward as the black and white energy of my Shunko rushed over the ghosts, consuming them in the ethereal flames.

I stood hunched over and drawing in breaths for a moment before a box appeared before me.

 **Shunko Leveled up.**

 **Shunko is Lv: 3 Exp: 1.50%**

 **Physical and Spiritual Damage increases by 35%, Physical and Spiritual Damage received is decreased by 25% and consumes 50 RP per second. Can be released in a concentrated wave that deals a base damage of Total RP used. Deals continuous damage for every 3 seconds target is exposed to attack. Maximum time of attack is 6 seconds. 31% chance of attack backfiring and dealing 75% damage to user.**

Heh, I nearly kill myself using this technique and it only loses two percent of its dangerousness. I've got to expand my repertoire, even if it's only a little.

I should probably get out of here, but I've got to collect my pay first. I used what little Reiryoku I had to Shunpo over to where the majority of the ghosts' rewards were and deposited them into my inventory, finding the second ghost drop item along the way.

 **Ghostly Fang-Crafting Item**

 **A fang from a childish but nonetheless malevolent spirit. Used for armor and accessories.**

Dropping the item into my inventory after giving it an approving nod, I raised my hand to the sky.

"ID Escape.'

As the barrier shattered I looked down at myself. I had large cuts all over my body, not to mention the holes in my pants. I'm just thankful that I was already shirtless from training with Yoruichi or I would have to explain that used Shunko without her supervision.

"Status."

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 18 Exp: 29100/30000**

 **HP: 45/550**

 **MP: 10/325**

 **RP: 100/1160**

 **STR: 20**

 **VIT: 22**

 **DEX: 35**

 **INT: 13**

 **WIS: 13**

 **LUK: 13**

 **Points: 0**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

Damn, I'm in bad shape. I don't think Urahara would mind if I took a little nap down here.

With that, I found a reasonably shady boulder and laid against it, drifting off to sleep as soon as my eyelids shut.

XxxxXxxxX

5 Hours later

XxxxXxxxX

 **You slept in a warm futon. HP, MP, and RP are restored 100%.**

I sat up franticly as I wiped the box away only to find myself back in my room in the shop. Realizing I had a weight on my side, I looked to see Ururu curled up next to me. (AN: No. He is not going to end up with Ururu. I'm saying that right now.)

I stifled a chuckle before nudging her shoulder lightly. "Oy, Ururu, wake up."

Ururu stirred a little before she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she let out a small yawn before looking at me in shock. "K-Kyle, you're awake. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, the new ID Create was a real bruiser, so I won't be able to take you and Jinta into it for awhile." I told the girl as I patted her on the head in order to calm her down.

"That's okay, I'm just glad you're safe. But…" Ururu looked away.

"What is it?"

"Yoruichi found out you used Shunko Reiryoku you were expelling while you slept."

I felt the blood drain from my face as I wondered whether or not it would have been better if the ghosts killed me.

XxxxXxxxX

2 hours later

XxxxXxxxX

ZAP "Ow." ZAP "Ow."

I complained in a deadpan but honest manner as I trudged down the moonlit street with grocery bags in my hands. As punishment for using Shunko without her supervision, Yoruichi put me on grocery duty for two months while forbidding me to use Shunpo, during which I was to wear a spiritual shock collar whenever I was outside that zapped me with every step I took. It wasn't as bad as the one I used in training, but it still hurt.

I came to a sudden stop when I sensed a spiritual entity. Carefully glancing up and to the side where the presence was located, I struggled to contain the grin that tried to make its way across my face.

Rukia Kuchiki.

"Observe." I whispered as quietly as I could.

 **Rukia Kuchiki**

 **Title: None**

 **Lv: 36 Exp: 25.50%**

 **HP: 600/600**

 **RP: 1800/1800**

 **STR: 22**

 **VIT: 24**

 **DEX: 26**

 **INT: 44**

 **WIS: 36**

 **LUK: 28**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 13 Exp: 10.75%**

Damn, now those are stats. Looks like I'll have to up my game if I want to keep playing.

I turned away from the shinigami and began walking back to the shop, my grin now covering my face. It looks like I'll get a chance to try out my costume sooner then I thought.

XxxxXxxxX

1 hour later, Kyle's Inner World (AN: I think it sounds better then dreamscape, so I'll be using it from now on.)

XxxxXxxxX

Gaia and I stood in one of the rooms of the castle. If one stepped into the massive room, one would find themselves standing the middle of space with the stars and galaxies decorating the floors, walls, and ceilings looking as real as their 'real-world' counterparts. In the middle of the room was a large table, with multiple glass platforms hung suspended in the air without any visible means of support over top of it. On the lowest and second smallest of the platforms was a replica of Karakura Town and the surrounding area. The second platform hung above and to the side of the Karakura Town, this one being the second largest and was a replica of Soul Society and everything that surrounded it. Above the Karakura Town replica and to the opposite side of the Soul Society replica was the largest platform, with the white expanse of sand and white buildings that made up Hueco Mundo. The final platform floated over the other three, and was a replica of the Soul King's floating palace as well as the floating palaces of Squad 0.

Walking up to the table, I placed a chess piece that looked like Rukia on to the Karakura Town Replica.

"Well, no matter what happens, this is going to be interesting."

AN: Chapter 7 completed along side what I have decided to dub the 'New Game Arc'. And thank goodness, this chapter took a lot out of me. A few things to you need to know readers.

The next update will take a little longer for the reason described below plus a few thing s in my private life.

The next chapters are were self-created and canon events merge, so it will take longer to iron out the details and story

I want to ask something beyond ambitious. I would like somebody to create an 'opening' for this story. What I mean is I would like someone to write out a description of an anime opening using a song of your choice with the chapters of this story up until but still including this one as a base. Now I'm not asking you to actually create an opening, just something akin to a script that I could post on my home page for everyone to see. Why am I asking this? Because I have yet to have seen it done anywhere else. You readers don't have too of course, this is just a request. You don't have to do an ending either, I would just like to see if anyone would be willing to create an opening, but if you feel like doing an ending too, then be my guest.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Thank you everyone for supporting this story! I know I said that the next chapter would take a while, but I had a small burst of inspiration. Again, give a big thanks to JohnyGhostFace for designing the first 'opening' for this story. Go to my profile to view it. And another big thank you to DarkLord98 for allowing me to use his self-created Kido spells: Hado #2, #3, #5, and #6. Go check out his profile for stories and challenges.

 **JohnyGhostFace:** Again thank you for the opening, but when I said other reasons I really just meant swearing and maybe some nudity, I wasn't even thinking of a full on lemon until you mentioned it, not that I blame you. Considering the way I worded it, I'm kind of surprised I didn't think of how other people might interpret it.

 **sperokuro:** The reason for the small stat difference is, as you just said, she is in her sealed form so she is weaker then what she would normally be. The reason for the low health however is due to the fact that she is in the human world, which as stated by Renji causes spiritual beings to become weaker, and the fact she is not a physical fighter. In the manga you almost never see her using her zanpakuto as an actual sword except in the beginning when she first arrives in Karakura town. It is well known that she is primarily a Kido practitioner, and when she uses her Shikai she always uses her dances, only one of which requires her to use it against an opponent physically (The third dance, the one that lengthens her sword, forgot its name). That's not to say she can't fight physically, it's shown that she can fight very well even without Kido, but she is still below a lot of the other shinigami in terms of more physical abilities.

 **kenegi:** The reason she isn't very powerful is explained above. The reason she doesn't have a title is because in this story only the seated officers have titles, and due to Byakuya's influence she didn't become a seated officer until after the time skip.

Now, on with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 8

Gaia and I sat on opposite sides of the ornate table that our chess set was on, with me having just captured her last pawn and on the way to getting her into checkmate within two turns.

"So the timeline has finally caught up has it? That's good, I look forward to seeing you dawn your little costume. Though I have to ask why you want to wear it." Gaia asked as she tried to take ground back with her queen, only for it to be stolen by my own.

"Simple. I could just be the new friend who helps others for the sake of friendship, or I could be the mysterious stranger whom you aren't sure if he's truly friend or foe regardless of what he's done already. Which do you think is more interesting? Checkmate." I answered her as I moved my rook and trapped Gaia's king in her back line using my other rook.

Gaia puffed her cheeks up in a childish pout before she stood up. "Fair point. By the way, next time you come here you should finish designing your throne room. This isn't much of a castle unless its king has a throne."

I watched Gaia disappear in a flash of green light before I chuckled. Was it vain of me to be making myself a throne room and subsequently a throne? Maybe a little. Was that going to stop me? Not a chance. Even if it's not within the realm of natural reality, how many people get to physically act like a king and have nobody question their sanity or report them to the National Guard?

Nodding my head at my thoughts, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes to wait for when I was woken up.

 **You slept in a warm futon. HP, MP, and RP are restored 100%.**

I closed the floating box and pushed myself off of the futon while I rubbed my eyes with a yawn, a little weirded out that no one had woken me up, but pushed that feeling aside as it had happened before. I pushed my self out of my current musings and into the ones I had with Gaia. Considering what, or rather who, I saw last night, the storyline was going to start picking up soon, and I would need to start grinding in the Ghost ID if I was going to be able to keep up with the rest of the main cast when the real enemies started showing up. Standing up I walked over to my little drawer and put on my shirt and pants before making my way to the shops' dining room. Sliding the door open, I was greeted by a sight I would never forget.

Yoruichi in her human form, completely naked, and without any annoying smoke obscuring anything from my view. Hell yes.

"Morning." I said as casually as I took my seat while ignoring the raised eyebrows of the rest of the shop. Well, the three adults had raised eyebrows. Ururu had taken an extreme interest in the floor while her entire face turned into a tomato and Jinta was laying passed out on the floor with a shocked expression, a little river of blood coming out of his nose.

"Good morning Kyle. Do you notice anything…different today?" Tessai asked as I was about to eat my breakfast. I looked at him before I looked at Yoruichi.

"Other then the fact that Yoruichi went from a masculine cat to a naked woman who could easily pass herself off as a foreign super model? No, not really." I told him as I continued to look Yoruichi up and down. I may not actively search for perverted activities but if the opportunity presents itself then I'll gladly sit back and enjoy the show.

"Oh? You enjoying the view?" Yoruichi asked with a smirk.

"Every second of it." I answered immediately, enjoying the surprise that crossed the woman's face. When your classroom seat is next to girl who likes to flirt and whose version of modesty is a tank top that could just as well pass as a bra and a pair of ultra short-shorts, you learn to keep a straight face under sexual pressure. Admittedly my self control was reaching new limits keeping a straight face while talking to the naked ex-Onmitsukido commander, but so long as she didn't do anything physical like she did in cat form I'll be able to keep a straight face and a relatively clear head. As I finished my thoughts I watched out of the corner of my eye as Jinta sat up from the floor. "Though I suggest you put on some clothes or Jinta is going to need a transfusion."

"I suppose you're right. One question though, how did you know I was Yoruichi?" the woman asked as she stood up, giving everyone in the room a complete view of…well everything.

THUD.

And there goes Jinta. Okay I was joking before, but with the rate that blood pool is spreading I think he might really need some help. And the way her blush is going from bright red to a shade of crimson that I know can't be healthy for a girl her age, or any age for that matter, Ururu isn't too far behind. Though I guess with Tessai here, he'll be able to heal the two if they were in any actual danger.

"I didn't until just now." I told her as a cheeky grin spread over my features. I love having knowledge of future events, it makes messing with people so much easier.

Yoruichi just looked at me before smirking. "Well smart guy, let's see if you can keep up that attitude in the training room."

I blinked before most of the color drained out of my face. I would have continued like that had Tessai not cleared his throat. "Kyle, as a thank you for helping Ururu and Jinta in their training, I have something to give to you."

I snapped out of my shock as Tessai handed me a small book, causing a box to appear before me.

 **Basic Kido (Hado)**

 **By using this skill book, you will learn the skills 'Hado #1 - #10'.**

 **Would you like to learn these skills?**

 **Yes/No**

"Thanks Tessai, this is a real help." I told him as I tapped the yes button and the book burst into flames.

 **New skills have been learned from a skill book.**

 **'** **Hado # 1: Shō (Thrust)', '** **Hado # 2: Seiu (Blue Rain)', 'Hado # 3: Midori No Kaze (Green Wind)', 'Hado # 4: Byakurai (Pale Lightning)', 'Hado # 5: Shuryūdan (Grenade)', and 'Hado # 6: Kazaguruma (Windmill)' have been created.**

 **Hado # 1: Shō (Thrust) (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0%** **-** **Pushes the target away from the caster. Base Damage: 8. Uses 15 RP.**

 **Hado # 2: Seiu (Blue Rain)** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% -** **The caster shoots a blast of reiryoku from their hands like bullets of water, with size depending on the amount of reiryoku poured into the spell flying at their enemies. Base Water Damage: 10 per bullet. Uses 20 RP per bullet.**

 **Hado # 3: Midori No Kaze (Green Wind)** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% -** **Launches a gust of slicing wind from the caster's hand. Base Wind Damage: 12. Uses 20 RP.**

 **Hado # 4: Byakurai (Pale Lightning)** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0%** **-** **Fires a bolt of white lightning from the caster's fingertips. Base Electric Damage: 12. Uses 20 RP.**

 **Hado # 5: Shuryūdan (Grenade)** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0%** **-** **Gathers a small ball of spiritual energy into the casters palm, allowing to be thrown as a grenade that explodes on contact or to be stuck onto a surface to detonate on command. Base Fire Damage: 12. Uses 20 RP.**

 **Hado # 6: Kazaguruma (Windmill)** **(Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0%** **-** **A windmill shaped reiryoku projectile launches from the caster's hand carving at the target. Base Damage: 15. Uses 25 RP.**

 **WIS is not high enough to learn the rest of the skills in this skill book. By learning only what is available now, you will have to re-acquire this skill book to learn the rest.**

So these are my first Kido spells. Not bad. I am kind of pissed that I can't learn the rest of the spells, but I probably won't be using them that much anyway; I enjoying using my fists and chain more then anything else, and Tessai can give me another copy of the book if need be.

I pushed myself up off the floor after finishing breakfast and made my way to the training area where Yoruichi waited atop one of the many boulders, now wearing her trademark orange jacket alongside the rest of her usual clothing.

"It's about time you got here. I assume Tessai gave you that book on some of the more basic Kido?" she asked as she looked down on me from her perch.

"Yeah, but only Hado #1 through #6. Apparently my WIS stat isn't high enough for the rest. Why?"

"You are going to practice on the boulders here until I think you can use them properly. It's a shame you can't use the rest of them, but #1 to #6 are fine." Yoruichi hopped off her boulder and walked over to one of the smaller rocks in the training area, one that reaching just above my head. "I want you to use Hado #1: Shō to push this boulder back 10 meters in one shot, then we move on to Hado #2: Seiu. This boulder has been uprooted so you're not pushing against solid earth, just the weight of the boulder."

"Got it." I said right before a box popped in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Yoruichi's Training Test**

 **Objectives:**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #1: Shō**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #2: Seiu**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #3: Midori No Kaze**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #4: Byakurai and Hado #5: Shuryūdan**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #6: Kazaguruma**

 **Complete Yoruichi's final test**

 **Success: 35000 Exp, Yoruichi's Apprenticeship available**

 **Failure: 3000 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **6000 Exp** **added per bonus completed**

I'm going to take a wild guess and say Yoruichi's Apprenticeship is a temporary training upgrade and is probably going to involve the use of Shunpo. If I didn't have reason to work before I sure do now.

Walking up to the boulder until I was a little further then arms length, I raised my palm to the boulder. "Hado #1: Shō!"

The moment the words left my lips, I felt a brief pull on my Reiryoku before a small spark of light flashed in the palm of my hand and slammed into the boulder, knocking it a few meters back. Not enough though.

"Again, and put more power into it." Yoruichi said from on top of her boulder. I nodded at her before returning my gaze to the boulder.

"Hado #1: Shō!" I felt a bigger tug on my energy this time as I willed more energy into the spell, causing a slightly larger spark to impact the stone, sending it skidding a few more meters away and leaving small, almost unnoticeable cracks on the area where it was hit. Still not enough power though.

 **Hado #1:** **Shō Leveled up.**

 **Hado #1:** **Shō** **is Lv: 2 Exp: 0.00%**

I wiped away the screen and looked towards Yoruichi, wondering if she had any advice.

"Kyle, you said you trained as a fighter right?"

My eyebrow rose at the question. What had that got to do with using Shō? "Yeah, what about it?"

"What is a punch with no follow through?" the moment the words left the tanned woman's lips I felt like slapping myself. A punch with no follow through is little more then a slap, how could I forget that! If my Shifu ever found out he would have me doing push-ups until my arms snapped off!

I turned to the boulder that was serving as my target and flexed my hand before raising it to the stone "Hado #1: Shō!"

Unlike the last attempt, the spark from the spell lasted a little longer as I didn't stop pushing my energy into it as it shot from my hand and impacted the boulder, causing a small web of cracks to appear as the boulder temporarily left the ground before it slammed into the ground at least fifteen meters away.

 **You learned how to properly cast Hado #1:** **Shō.**

 **Hado #1:** **Shō jumped from Lv: 2 to Lv: 5. Exp: 0.00%**

 **Pushes the target away from the caster. Base Damage: 10. Uses 14 RP.**

 **By using old knowledge in an innovative new way, INT increased by 1.**

I grinned happily at the pair of boxes that appeared before me. This might not be as bad as I thought. I turned my head to Yoruichi, whom nodded her head.

"Good, now for Seiu." I watched as she leapt off the boulder with all the grace and skill of a jungle cat. Fitting, considering her transformation, though I would pay to see any dumbass, wannabe hunter try to so much as scratch her with their bullets. I pushed away my thoughts as Yoruichi landed next to me before she raised her hand. "Hado #2: Seiu."

A moment after hearing the spell leave her lips, I got a front row seat to watching a beach ball shaped sphere of water appeared in her hand before exploding into several smaller balls that were the size of melons that turned the five meter thick boulder she had been sitting on into giant stone honeycomb.

"I'm not expecting you to do what I just did, but I am expecting you to at least make noticeable dents in the boulders." At least I think that's what she said, I was too busy gaping and gulping. Apparently she noticed cause next thing I knew I felt something sweep my feet out from under me and send me into momentary freefall before I hit the ground.

"What was that for?" I growled at her as I rubbed the back of my head, which had the great fortune of being the first thing to hit the ground.

"There's a beautiful woman right beside you and you choose to ogle a rock? That's such an insult to my pride as a woman that it would be a surprise if I didn't hit you." She told me with a small huff, though I didn't miss the small smirk that crossed her lips as she turned away from me. I felt my own smirk beginning to appear as I stood up and faced one of the boulders that weren't destroyed and held up my palm.

"Hado #2: Seiu!" I concentrated as the water appeared in my hand and formed into an orb the same size as a golf ball before shooting outwards in balls the size of grapes that slammed against the boulder, leaving a small impact craters that were about the same size as my pinkie in diameter.

I tried not to let my irritation show before I sat down and assumed my 'Thinking Pose'. Seiu was, at least from my perspective, basically several spheres of pressurized water that had all of that pressurized liquid released at the moment of impact. Following that thought, by adding more of my energy to contain, and therefore allowing the overall size of the initial sphere to expand only marginally, the water pressure will become greater, thus dealing more damage. Nodding at my conclusion, I got up off the ground and faced the boulder. "Hado #2: Seiu!"

As the water built up in my palm, I didn't immediately launch it, instead willing more and more energy into the bullet as it grew from a golf ball to an orange before releasing a shotgun blast of water bullets that broke off small chunks of whatever part of the stone they hit.

 **You learned how to properly cast Hado #2:** **Seiu.**

 **Hado #2:** **Seiu jumped from Lv: 1 to Lv: 5. Exp: 0.00%**

 **The caster shoots a blast of reiryoku from their hands like bullets of water, with size depending on the amount of reiryoku poured into the spell flying at their enemies. Base Water Damage: 14 per bullet. Uses 20 RP per bullet.**

 **By realizing the secret of a technique, WIS increased by 1.**

I smiled as I wiped away the boxes in front of me and looked to Yoruichi.

"That wasn't half bad. Let's see how you do with the next skill." She said as she walked up to me and surveyed my boulder before turning to one of the last remaining undamaged boulders in the area. Wonder how Urahara is going to get new boulders in here, cause last time I checked, the local store had been fresh out of giant boulders for sale. "Hado #3: Midori No Kaze."

Again I found myself gaping as a gust of razor winds launched out from Yoruichi's hand and began slicing off chunks of the stone for only a short while before there was little left of the boulder other then several dozen slabs of rock. I was going to continue gaping when my instincts screamed at me to jump. Following them, I just barely managed to avoid getting my legs swept out from under me. Turning to Yoruichi, I was going to gloat when I saw her rise up while still spinning with her kick.

Which subsequently slammed into the back of my head and sent me rolling across the ground. Forget the Hollows, Arrancars, or Quincys; Yoruichi's training is gonna be the thing that kills me.

"Nice try, but I'll still give you an A for effort. For this skill, I don't want you to try and carve up the boulder like I did, I want you to activate it and not stop until I say so." I heard Yoruichi say as she walked away. At least I think that's what she said, the ringing in my ears hadn't subsided yet and I think I might have a concussion. Not that having one would stop her from beating me in the name of training, if how she and Urahara trained Ichigo in the original timeline was any indication. Picking myself off the ground with a few choice words that may or may not have been directed at the mocha-skinned woman, I looked to one of the few remaining boulders and held up my hand. "Hado #3: Midori No Kaze!"

I watched as the small blades of wind leapt from my hand and began carving shallow cuts across the rocks surface. Unlike the previous spells though, I didn't stop the technique as more and more of the lethal winds appeared in my hand before shooting out towards the stone.

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze Leveled up.**

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze** **is Lv: 2 Exp: 0.00%**

I moved my unoccupied arm to wipe away the box. Big mistake.

For that single moment that my concentration left the spell, the wind that had gathered in my hand exploded outwards and slashed apart my hand. I yelped in surprise and pain as I grasped my injured hand, which now looked like it had been used by a drunk person to play a fucked up version of Five-Finger-Fillet where you needed to stab everywhere EXCEPT the spaces between the fingers.

Without bothering to look to Yoruichi I called up my inventory and ate some of the rice from breakfast that I placed there just in case I got a bit to roughed up. Out of curiosity I used Observe on the bowl of rice before I ate it.

 **Bowl Of Rice: The main part of Japans diet. Restores 50 HP.**

Well, better then nothing. I greedily gobbled up the rice that thankfully had come with a spoon before looking at my hand as the wounds began to close themselves up. I clenched my fist when a wave of pain shot up from the appendage. Something I discovered about my powers during my time in this world was that when I healed myself through eating food it may have healed the wounds, but I still experienced the pain of the injuries regardless if I managed to get myself to full HP or not. Gritting my teeth, I raised my hand to the stone I had been practicing on. "Hado #3: Midori No Kaze!"

Again I watched as the bladed winds started carving shallow cuts into the boulder, making slow but noticeable progress in turning it into stone confetti.

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze Leveled up.**

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze** **is Lv: 3 Exp: 0.00%**

I didn't bother acknowledging the box as I concentrated on the lethal wind that shot out of my hand, focusing more and more energy as the blades grew stronger and stronger, slicing off more and more of the boulder as time went by.

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze Leveled up.**

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze** **is Lv: 4 Exp: 0.00%**

A few minutes later, a new box greeted me which I continued to ignore.

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze Leveled up.**

 **Hado #3:** **Midori No Kaze** **is Lv: 5 Exp: 0.00%**

 **Launches a gust of slicing wind from the caster's hand. Base Wind Damage: 13. Uses 18 RP.**

I felt my control of the wind beginning to falter when Yoruichi called out "That's enough."

I dropped to one knee, feeling my energy beginning to fail me as I used more and more of it without rest. Looking up to the boulder that Yoruichi was standing on, which happened to be the largest of all the boulders in the room and the only one in the immediate vicinity that hadn't been used as target practice.

"Not bad. The test for Byakurai and Shuryūdan is going to be a little different though." Yoruichi said as I stood up. "You have to hit me with one of each. You can use any means necessary except for Shunko. It doesn't even have to be a full hit, just a glancing blow will do." She smirked at me from on top of her perch "Try to keep up."

I didn't have time to think of a retort as she vanished from sight. I brought my arms to defend myself with a split second to spare as I felt her kick slam into my left side, wincing as I felt several of my ribs crack and out right gasping in pain as I was sent skidding across the ground. Impacting one of the destroyed pieces of boulder in the training area, I pushed myself up in time to see Yoruichi vanish while moving towards me. I had just enough time to react as I dove over her kick, which smashed into the boulder, turning the massive stone into a shower of pebbles.

"Hado #4: Byakurai!" I yelled as the bolt of electricity jumped from my fingers towards the woman, only for her to jump up and let the bolt hit one of the pieces of boulder, destroying what was left of the small stone.

"That would've hurt if it had hit me." Yoruichi smirked as she land on her feet without a sound.

"Heh, what about those kicks of yours? I think you cracked a few of my ribs."

"What can I say; I like to get a bit rough." Yoruichi purred before she shunpo'd towards me, barely giving me enough time to bring my arms up to block a kick that sent me tumbling across the ground.

Rolling to my feet I preformed my own Shunpo to get some distance, only to be stopped as Yoruichi flashed behind me and gave me another hard kick to the same side, though this time I could hear my ribs break on impact. But that was fine, cause I now I had my chance.

Not giving her time to Shunpo away I wrapped my left arm around Yoruichi's leg and pointed my right index and middle finger over my left shoulder towards the tanned skin woman. "Hado #4: Byakurai!"

The sting of being so close to the small electrical explosion was harsh, but now was my only chance. Acting before the small amount of smoke cleared, I reached back with my right arm as a glowing ball of energy appeared within it, ignoring the box that popped up in front of me to inform me that I had leveled up Byakurai.

I felt Yoruichi's other leg impact my back as I was sent flying to the ground, creating a small crater when I landed. "Ugh, Status."

 **HP: 40/550**

Gaia damn it, she really does like to play rough.

"Is that all? I was expecting a little more from you." Yoruichi taunted as she landed next to me. I mumbled incoherently to draw her in. "What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"Hado #5: Shuryūdan." I grinned as the small ball of energy I attached to her back while she was blinded by my Byakurai expanded for a brief second as a look of shock passed over the tanned-skinned woman before it detonated, sending her flying away from me. I know it didn't actually hurt her, but I was just relishing the fact that I managed to get the drop on her. I smirked a bit as a box popped in front of my face.

 **Bonus Objective Completed!**

 **Successfully catch Yoruichi by surprise during the fourth test**

 **6000 Exp** **added per bonus completed**

I would have celebrated had not Yoruichi flashed beside me, her orange jacket now a smoking mess. At least she looked amused instead of murderous.

"Well done, I didn't notice that Shuryūdan because of how little energy it had. Anymore and I would have detected it." She looked down at me as I pulled myself up and called up my status again.

 **RP: 240/1160**

So I've got less then a fifth of my total reiryoku. I can work with that, as long as the next test isn't anything to intense…I just jinxed it, didn't I.

Yoruichi's expression changed from amused to stern as she walked to the largest boulder. Yep, definitely jinxed it. "I want you to cut through this boulder using Kazaguruma."

I grunted as I pushed myself off the ground and back onto my feet, wincing as I felt my ribs shift in ways I was fairly certain they weren't supposed to. Ignoring the pain as best I could I walked over to Yoruichi. "Alright, but mind if I leech a bit of your energy so I can heal my ribs?" She looked at me questioningly before nodding her head as I reached out and placed my hand on her shoulder. "Life Drain."

I held back a snort at the surprise that once again crossed the woman's face. Man, I am on a roll with the surprises today. I halted my train of thought as I felt my ribs and nerves begin to knit themselves together.

It was an odd feeling to say the least, like someone was massaging the area that was hurt, except they were only touching the skin and nerves while the skin for the most part felt like nothing was happening. An odd but nonetheless pleasant feeling indeed.

 **Life Drain Leveled up.**

 **Life Drain is Lv: 3 Exp: 0.00%**

I closed the box as I felt the last of the serious damage to my ribs finish healing before checking my status.

 **HP: 300/550**

 **MP: 13/325**

Wow, I completely drained my MP. That would explain why I feel so damn tired. But now's not the time to complain, I've got two more tests to finish. "Alright, that's enough. So I just need to cut through the boulder?"

"That's about it. And by the way," she turned to me, a smirk playing on her lips "There are easier ways to feel me up you know."

It took all my inner strength not to sputter and blush. I may have sat next to a bimbo who liked to flirt with anything with a y-chromosome back in school, but there was a big difference between a girl my age doing it me and hotter-then-hell older woman doing it, even if the older woman wasn't serious about it. Doesn't mean I'm gonna let her get the last laugh though. "Says the woman who straddled me while naked a few days ago."

"I was a cat."

"You were still naked and on top of a younger guy."

Yoruichi chuckled a bit before speaking. "Alright, since you seem so confident in yourself I guess I don't have to show you how to use Kazaguruma."

I smirked a bit before turning to the boulder and holding my hand to the side, just in case it shot out like a cannon. "Hado #6: Kazaguruma!"

I watched out of the corner of my eye as my reiryoku gathered in the palm of my hand before flattening out and spinning at high speeds, giving off a sound that reminded me of some sort of chainsaw. I would have thrown it right then and there, but a thought popped into my head. I was only spinning my reiryoku in one direction, but when ever anyone in anime brought up wind attacks or attacks that had some form of rotation in it, spinning the attack in multiple directions was always better then spinning it in one. I nodded my head before concentrating on the spinning disk of death in my hand, willing parts of the spinning blade to rotate in the opposite direction of the rest, something which proved far more difficult then what was usually depicted in the anime. Instead of simply willing the blades to do it and watching it happen, I had to keep switching between each of the different sections of the disc because they all wanted to spin in the same direction. I was honestly about to concede when I remembered an old lesson on, oddly enough, sedimentary rocks; rocks that were created from multiple layers of minerals stacked on top of each other.

I gave myself a mental pat in the head before I willed the disc of death to split into two layers, a feat which was surprisingly easier to do then trying to get the two rotations to spin on the same level. Giving a mental order for the too levels spin in opposite directions, I pulled my arm back and threw it towards the boulder that was my target.

If I could compare Midori No Kaze with Kazaguruma, it would be like comparing a machine gun and a sniper rifle. I might only be able to create one Kazaguruma at a time, but what ever the disc touched was eviscerated. Case in point, the giant chunk of rock that had been slashed off the boulder and torn to pieces when it was hit. I looked up to Yoruichi who had a look of genuine surprise on her face at witnessing my handiwork before she smiled and shunpo'd in front of me at the same time as a new pair of boxes.

 **You learned how to properly cast Hado #6:** **Kazaguruma.**

 **Hado #6:** **Kazaguruma jumped from Lv: 1 to Lv: 5. Exp: 0.00%**

 **By realizing the secret of a technique, WIS increased by 1.**

"I'm not going to lie; I didn't expect you to pass this one. But now its time for your final test." She told me as a chill went up my spine at her smile. "You have to spar with me for three minutes exactly. No Kido, no Shunpo, nothing but physical combat."

I know I should have been nervous at the prospect of fighting Yoruichi using nothing except my fists, I really should have.

But I couldn't stop smiling. This is what I had enjoyed when I was back in my world, not stances or martial arts etiquette, but sparring; going head-to-head with an opponent even if I was probably going to lose. This was where I was at my best, when it all came down to taking everything I knew and making it real.

I cut myself out of my musings as I assumed my Gong-Bu **[1]** stance while a timer appeared at the top of my field of vision that read **(00:03:00)**. I watched as Yoruichi stripped off what remained of her orange jacket, revealing the top of her skin-tight black suit before she took her own stance as a tense quiet fell within the training room. I don't know how long we stood there when a tiny piece of rubble from the large boulder I destroyed fell off the top of the stone. The moment it touched the ground, the two of us sprang forward and slammed our forearms against each other. I knew she was holding back, but considering the fact that she could kill me instantaneously without me even realizing it until after it had already happened, I wasn't as offended as I usually would have been at an opponent taking it easy on me.

Going on the offensive, I snaked my fist over Yoruichi's arm and tried to punch her in the face, only for her to duck under it and try to knee me. Catching the knee on its side with my unoccupied palm I pushed it away and drove my opposing elbow towards her face when she leaned back and counter with a kick to my uninjured ribs, to which I dropped my arm and let it take the damage before I dropped and tried to sweep out her leg, only for her to flip away.

 **(00:02:30)**

Dashing towards her, I went for a high kick to her head which she countered with her own before attacking me with a kick to the mid-section, a kick which I happily countered with the same technique. It seemed we shared the idea of what to do next as we intercepted each others low kicks.

 **(00:02:00)**

I rushed forward and forced her head into a clinch before landing a resounding knee to her stomach. I was pulling back for another knee when I felt her shin impact the back of my head. Jeez, I knew Yoruichi was flexible but this was just ridiculous. I didn't let that stop me though as I kept my clinch. One thing I noticed when I gained knowledge of Hakudo was that it had very few standing-grappling techniques, so I used that to my advantage as I forced Yoruichi's head down before coming up with a knee and slamming it into her forehead, my eyes widening when I saw she intercepted the knee and had pushed it away, leaving me off balance.

 **(00:01:30)**

I leaned forward as she brought her fist back to slam it into my stomach, forcing me to forgo the clinch to slice an elbow into the front of her head before her punch impacted my stomach, knocking the wind out of me and sending me skidding away from her. I looked up and matched her serious expression with my own as the cut I had made using my elbow began to seep with blood that dripped down into her eye. We stood stock still for a few moments as we assessed the situation before Yoruichi dashed forward and forced me to deflect a high kick.

 **(00:01:00)**

I hadn't been given time to relax however as Yoruichi spun on the ball of her foot and delivered a back kick into my stomach, knocking what little air was left in my lungs out before delivering a slicing hook to side of my head. I wouldn't last long at this rate, so I spun in the direction of the eye that was being partially blinded from the cut on her head. She went to kick me out, but either through her reddening eye or sheer dumb luck she only managed to partially swipe my side, forcing her to spin with me and allowing me to throw a cross that impacted her jaw.

 **(00:00:30)**

As quickly as I had hit her, Yoruichi grabbed my outstretched arm and pulled me into her knee, forcing me to feel the pain and hear the sickening eggshell-like cracking of ribs being broken before she took my back and slammed her palm against my jaw when I turned my head, viscously dislocating it from its hinges. Fueled by adrenaline, I forced my head, and subsequently my body to turn through the palm as I threw an unfocused haymaker that by some miracle managed to impact Yoruichi's eye. Knowing that whatever attack came next would be the one to send me into dream land, I found myself surprised when Yoruichi actually smiled at me when several boxes popped in front of my face while she withdrew from our entanglement. "Very well done Kyle, I haven't had that much fun in decades."

 **(00:00:00)**

 **Yoruichi's Training Test**

 **Objectives:**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #1: Shō**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #2: Seiu**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #3: Midori No Kaze**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #4: Byakurai and Hado #5: Shuryūdan**

 **Complete the training objective for Hado #6: Kazaguruma**

 **Complete Yoruichi's final test**

 **Success: 35000 Exp, Yoruichi's Apprenticeship available**

 **Failure: 3000 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **Successfully catch Yoruichi by surprise during the fourth test**

 **6000 Exp** **added per bonus completed**

 **Level up!**

 **Level up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Zombie Slayer**

 **Level: 20 Exp: 100/50000**

 **HP: 575/575**

 **MP: 350/350**

 **RP: 1220/1220**

 **STR: 21**

 **VIT: 23**

 **DEX: 36**

 **INT: 14**

 **WIS: 15**

 **LUK: 13**

 **Points: 6**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster)**

 **An Apprenticeship is available:**

 **Yoruichi's Apprenticeship: Gain +2 additional points to all stats per level gained while under Yoruichi's Apprenticeship, Hakudo Exp gain +50%, Shunko Exp gain +50%, Shunpo Exp gain +75%, Shunpo level immediately boosted to Lv: 10**

 **Accept Apprenticeship?**

 **Yes/No**

I didn't hesitate for a moment to press the yes button. This kind of training boost was broken beyond reason, and I was going to abuse the living hell out of it. The moment after I pressed the yes button, two new boxes appeared.

 **Due to earning 'Yoruichi's Apprenticeship', Shunpo has jumped from Lv: 5 to Lv: 10. Exp: 0.00%.**

 **Distance per step is 200 meters. 1 step takes 0.09 seconds. Costs 8 MP per step.**

 **A related [2] skill has been created through high enough stats and related skills.**

 **'** **Utsusemi' has been unlocked.**

 **By moving at great speed, you can leave behind a solid-looking afterimage that can appear to be attacked. Number of afterimages available: 1.**

I smiled at my new skill when a wave of relief hit me, causing me to fall to the ground. As my vision slowly dimmed, I saw Yoruichi lean over me. "Good job. Get some rest, you've earned it."

That was the last thing I heard before my eyes shut and I was welcomed into the wonderful embrace of sleep.

AN: And that's the end of chapter 8. I'll be going away for a while so I really mean it when I say that it will be a little bit before the next chapter comes out. Also, an imaginary cookie to whoever can guess what style of martial arts Kyle was taught. Now for the little markers I put down.

[1] Basically a fancy way of saying 'Bow Stance', this is one of the most common martial arts stances in the world, with almost all martial arts having a varied but similar stance, and is mainly used for offensive purposes.

[2] When a skill says it is 'related', it means that it becomes stronger as its parents skill grows stronger instead of leveling up on its own like most skills. In the case of Utsusemi, the stronger someone's Shunpo grows, the stronger the Utsusemi grows; just like how someone's Spiritual Manipulation grows with their Spiritual Sense.


	9. Chapter 9

Time to answer reviews!

 **Naruto x hinita:** Yes, I'm hoping to do more stories with Kyle, and I forgot about that skill and by the time I realized it the story was already moving along so I decided to keep it out.

 **sperokuro:** Thank you very much and probably not.

On with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 9

"Come on Kyle, you've got to move quicker then that!" Yoruichi yelled at me as I shunpo'd to catch a rubber ball out of the air while immediately twisting myself around and Shunpo-ing to catch another ball. 'Super Shunpo Training' Yoruichi called it. What happens is Jinta and Ururu keep throwing balls in random directions and I had to catch and return to the two of them before they touched the ground or any of the boulders. That would be a challenge in and of itself, except Yoruichi saw fit to give the two kids miniature pitching machines! This was nuts, I barely had time to take in a breath, let alone get the air to actually reach my lungs! On the plus side my Shunpo had reached Lv: 15, which allows me to travel 300 meters in a single step and reducing the time of a step to 0.04 seconds alongside unlocking a new related skill, and my VIT and DEX had both increased by 2.

I swiped away a message saying my VIT had increased again as I deposited another ball into Jinta's pitching machine before I dove to catch a new falling ball, barely grasping it before I tossed it into Ururu's machine.

I caught sight of a ball about to descend from its arc, so I flashed towards it and grabbed it out of the air and spun to face the ground. One of the tricks I learned with this training was that it was easier to see the white balls against the brown of the training room boulders and floor then the light blue of the ceiling, so I didn't need to spend so much time searching.

This continued for a while longer before Yoruichi called out for me to stop. As I shunpo'd in front of the three other occupants of the room, I wiped some of the sweat off my forehead while Ururu handed me a bottle of water. "So, how did I do?"

"It was alright, and well done figuring out that its easier to spot them from the air, but you still spend too much time searching and you have a habit of only going for the ball after you've made absolutely sure of what it is, when you need to react the moment it enters your field of vision." Yoruichi told me with a neutral expression on her face before she turned around and headed to the entrance/exit of the training room. "Still, I suppose you've earned yourself some private training time."

As Yoruichi walked off, Ururu and Jinta turned to me and tried to use expectant puppy dog eyes on me. Well, Jinta tried, since he knew that force wasn't going to end in his favor. Ururu just held her hand over her mouth and stared at me like most little sister types do in anime. Need I say how much my resolve to with stand cute was tested? "Sorry you two, but I still need to work out the kinks with the new ID. Next time alright?"

Jinta crossed his arms and glared at me. "Fine, but you better take us with you next time! I want to kick some ghost ass!"

Ururu looked a little let down but nodded her head before she and Jinta ran after Yoruichi, leaving me alone in the middle of the rocky terrain, a smile on my lips as I watched the pair that were becoming close to being my pseudo-family. My smile shrunk a little as that thought crossed my mind. Family, huh?

I shook my head free of my current thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think of the past.

I glanced to my right arm, which was completely encased by thin bandages that started by covering my entire hand except my fingers and went up into my shirt to cover most of my upper right torso. Stripping myself of the shirt, I unwound the bandage to reveal the black flaming tribal tattoo that now covered my arm, the exotic flames starting at my wrist before spiraling up my arm before flaring over my shoulder, some of the flames reaching up my neck midway, while the rest flared out and on to my pectoral and upper-right back. There were two reasons for the body art.

One was that it acted as a focusing point for my Shunko, allowing the chance of backfire when I used it as an attack to drop from 31% to 15%. Though it might not have been my best idea to get a 'tribal' style tattoo considering Yoruichi had one on her upper left thigh, a fact that she enjoyed calling me out whenever she got the chance. Though I'm still wondering if it's because I'm in a fantasy world or my Gamer's body that allows me to show it off immediately after getting it instead of having to wait weeks for my skin to heal. The second reason was I always wanted a tattoo and what better time to get it then when in a fantasy world.

Pushing away my thoughts on the new addition to my appearance, I raised my hand to the sky. "ID Create: Ghost!"

I was stopped from looking at the shockwave created by the ID Create when a box popped in front of me.

 **ID Create Leveled up.**

 **ID Create is Lv: 4 Exp: 0.00%**

 **ID Create: Myrmidon has been unlocked.**

Myrmidons? As in the Greek warriors lead by Achilles? That is so awesome! I used to read about the ancient Greek myths and societies all the time, and now I'm gonna be able to fight them! Or at least a copy of them, but whatever. After calming my inner historian down, I pulled out my chain as I heard the telltale cackle of the ghosts.

need to spend so much time searching. or thong was that it was easier to see the white balls agianst ept Yoruichi saw fit to g

The moment I saw a ghost appear in the corner of my peripheral vision, I spun around pointed my fingers at it. "Hado #4: Byakurai!"

I watched with glee as the spiritual lightning jumped from my fingers and crashed into the ghost. Without missing a beat, I concentrated my Mana into my chain and swung, bisecting the stunned ghost right down the middle. Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I dove out of the way of a ghosts' charge.

"Chain Bind!" Stopping the ghosts' charge, I turned and pulled my chain over my shoulder, turning the ghost into a makeshift ball and chain as it arced through the air and crashed on top of a trio of its unfortunate brethren, killing it and dropping the HP of the other three ghosts to near half. "Hado #3: Midori No Kaze!"

As the blades of wind finished turning the ghosts into confetti, I spun my chain dagger using my unoccupied hand and proceeded to draw-and-quarter [1] a ghost that tried to flank me before I shunpo'd upward. Spotting several ghosts rushing up to meet me, I moved my palm towards the group. "Hado #2: Seiu!"

As the water bullets launched out of the sphere in my hand and began punching holes through the ghosts, I saw four of them diverge from the main group and try to pincer me. As they got half way to me, I halted my Seiu and formed a group of orbs in the center of my hand. Moments before they reached me, I shunpo'd halfway down to the ground, leaving the four ghosts to collide with the group of Shuryūdan I left behind, consequently leveling up Shuryūdan to level four in the process, resulting in an explosion that temporarily blinded the other ghosts that were unfortunate enough to be catching up with the four that caused the explosion, leaving them to be easy pickings as my chain dagger flashed across the violet sky.

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up.**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 11 Exp: 0.00%**

 **A new Title has been unlocked.**

' **Apprentice Ghost Buster' has been unlocked by: killing over 50 Ghosts**

 **When there's something strange, in the neighborhood, who you gonna call...why call someone, kill them yourself!**

 **Ghosts take 25% more damage from attacks. Undead and Spirits are not included.**

 **Damage from Ghosts is reduced by 20%. Undead and Spirits are not included.**

 **Would you like to equip to this title?**

 **Yes/No**

I tapped the Yes button and whirled around as a ghost tried to get my back, only for its own momentum to betray it as it propelled itself through my blade, consequently ridding itself of half its head. Finally landing on the ground, I saw a ghost rushing towards me from low to the ground to try and take out my legs.

I momentarily activated my Shunko as I swung my leg up until it was perpendicular to the ground before slamming my heel down on top of the ghosts' head; creating a web of cracks were it impacted the ground. Deactivating my Shunko a moment later, I swept my chain out in a wide circle and slashed through a half dozen ghosts that that tried to dog pile me. As I pulled my chain back and caught it, I pulled up my status.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Apprentice Ghost Buster**

 **Level: 21 Exp: 2100/600000**

 **HP: 700/700**

 **MP: 400/400**

 **RP: 1390/1390**

 **STR: 23**

 **VIT: 28**

 **DEX: 40**

 **INT: 16**

 **WIS: 17**

 **LUK: 15**

 **Points: 9**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster),** **Yoruichi's Apprentice (Gain +2 additional points to all stats per level gained while under Yoruichi's Apprenticeship, Hakudo Exp gain +50%, Shunko Exp gain +50%, Shunpo Exp gain +75%)**

Closing the box with gleeful smile, I did a quick scan of the area with my eyes and saw that there were no ghosts in the area. Time for a little celebration.

"Bwao-da-na-na, na-na, na-na, can't touch this, bwao-da-na-na, na-na, na-na, can't touch this." I sang as I moved to the beat in my head before I laughed and pointed my hand to the sky. "Heh, ID Escape."

 **Cannot escape Illusion Barrier**

I can't escape? Why the hell…oh crap. I turned my head as I saw three black shadows rise from the ground.

The shadows rose to become a meter taller then I was [2] before they became the upper half of three sickly-pale bald men in tattered, dirty, undone straight jackets, their jagged claws peaking out from the sleeves, with each of the men looking like they hadn't eaten in their entire lives, their wrinkly ashen skin and sunken-in eyes far out classing the ghosts I had fought before in terms of creepiness. In all honestly though, the three of them could pass themselves off as triplets, except there was one thing that was different with each of them.

The being on the right had several black rods of various sizes sticking out of its ears in angles that I'm fairly sure aren't possible, with black gunk flowing out of its ears. The one on the left had its mouth pinned shut with similar black rods criss-crossing and over lapping each other in multiple directions, the same black gunk spilling out of its mouth like drool. The final one in the center had the rods piercing straight through its closed eyelids, the same black substance falling down its face like tears.

"Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. Of course there would be enemies based around that saying. I think I'll call each of you HN, SN, and SPN. Observe."

 **Triumvirate Ghost**

 **Level 28**

 **HP: 1350**

 **MP: 1950**

 **STR: 18**

 **VIT: 18**

 **DEX: 20**

 **INT: 26**

 **WIS: 24**

 **LUK: 22**

 **One of three powerful ghosts that embody the term '** **Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil'. Beware; their deadly claws are not the only things that make this trio of ghosts dangerous.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 14 Exp: 8.00%**

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **A Ghostly Trio!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Defeat all of the Triumvirate Ghosts**

 **Success: 50000 Exp**

 **Failure: Death**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **8000 Exp added per bonus completed**

You know for the boss, or bosses I guess, of the ID they aren't very strong, especially in comparison to the Legion Zombie. Still, I like to think I'm smart enough to know not to underestimate a boss. Plus I really don't like the whole 'Beware' part of their description, that just screams trouble.

I was just about to let my chain out when all three of the ghosts shot towards me with speed far surpassing the smaller ghosts, barely giving me enough time to Shunpo away. Swinging my chain towards the SPN ghost, the blade sliced a thick line across its back and spilled out some of its cursed blood across the ground. I didn't have time to gloat though as the HN and SN ghosts arced from their paths before I could pull the chain back. Twisting in the air with as much force as I could muster I managed to evade the claws of the SN ghost but hissed as the HN ghost cut into my side. Landing on the ground with a roll, I began to spin my chain when I noticed something. I couldn't hear my chain.

Swerving my head to the side I saw that my chain was in fact spinning, yet no noise came from it. In fact, I couldn't hear any noise. I felt my breath catch in my throat as a box appeared in front of me.

 **You have been afflicted with 'Deafness'. Hearing is temporarily sealed for: 00:02:00.**

Shit, they can inflict their 'embodiment' if their claws hit me. I can see why they're higher difficulty then the Legion Zombie. All it did was try to squish me.

I caught a bit of movement in the corner of my eye just in time to dive out of the way of the SPN ghosts' claws. Whipping around my chain as best I could without my hearing to help determine my speed, the blade sailed through the air and slashed across the SPN ghosts back, forming an X with the already present wound. Before I could follow up though I felt a set of claws tear through my left shoulder muscles, flinging me forward and into the ground.

Rolling to my feet as fast as I could, I bit back what was supposed to be a yelp of pain as blood soaked into my shirt and began dripping down my arm, almost missing the HN ghost as it sailed away with my blood dripping from its claws, only for the SN ghost to rush past it and subsequently towards me before its claws slammed into my stomach, spilling liters of blood all over the ground.

Or that's what seemed to happen when I suddenly vanished, leaving nothing but the shirt that the SN ghosts' claws had pierced through. As the three ghosts converged on the shirt, I glanced around the boulder I was hidden behind. Thank Gaia for Utsusemi and Spiritual Suppression…get out of my head Gaia.

Pushing my current thoughts away, I brought up my 'Skills' and moved down the list until I found the one I had just gained today.

 **Shippujinrai (Active) – Adding one force on top of another, you attack with a blade while in the middle of a step, increasing the power of the slash. Damage for strike increased by 2% for every level of Shunpo.**

My Shunpo is at level 15, so that's a 30% increase in my attack power. Good, I can work with that. Looking back to the ghosts, I saw that they were fanning out, probably to look for me. I spotted the SPN drawing closer to me.

It's now or never.

Dashing out from behind my boulder, I began swinging my dagger in a reverse-grip just as I preformed a Shunpo. Skirting to a crouched stop, my arms crossing each other in front of my chest, I stood up as the SPN started to whirl around to face me, only to stop and still midway, right before a silver arc flew across its chest followed by a cascade of black blood that erupted along the arcs' path.

Not wanting to give it a chance to retaliate I spun around, a disc of reiryoku already forming in my hand. "Hado #6: Kazaguruma!"

Throwing the disc like a boomerang, I watched as it tore off the SPN ghosts' arm and sawed through its chest. Whipping its head around to face me, I didn't need to hear it to know that it was pissed, its anger rolling off of it in waves. A smirk crossed my face as a box informed me that my 'Deafness' status had ended, paired with the sound of my own voice as I spoke. "If you don't like me now, you're really going to hate me when the little present I put in you wound detonates."

In response to what I said, the SPN looked down and seemed to notice the glowing orb that was stuck in its chest where Shippujinrai had cut. It had just enough to look back at me with what I assume to be shock before I snapped my fingers. "Hado #5: Shuryūdan."

I shunpo'd away as the ghost was enveloped in the explosion, reappearing on one of the nearby boulders as what remained of the SPN turned to ash and fell in a pile to the ground. I almost celebrated when I heard a loud screech moments before a claw ripped into my back and stuck there, lifting me up into the air a good twenty meters before they detached from me, causing me to plummet down and slam into the ground back first.

Gaia damn it, this hurts. I groaned as I tried to pull some of my lost air back into my lungs, only being partially successful. I didn't get much of a chance to complain though as a box appeared to in form me I had been deafened again. That would explain why I didn't hear any parts of my spine crack.

I would have liked to continue laying there when I wiped away the box to see that the SN Ghost was dive bombing me. Rolling across the ground and jumping up, I put some spin on my chain and swung at the ghost as its claws dug into the ground where I had just been laying, only for my blade to pass through harmlessly. Dashing backwards and behind a boulder for cover, I brought up my status.

 **HP: 380/700**

 **MP: 0/400**

Shit, I'm out of MP, time to switch to RP. Concentrating on pulling out my Reiryoku and pushing it into my chain, I waited until the tell-tale glow surrounded my chain. Nodding to myself, I hopped out of cover and swung at the SN ghost just as it wrenched free its claws, only for the HN ghost to dive in front of my blade and put up its arms as if to block my attack, an action that cost it one of its arms.

Looks like they have somewhat of a hierarchy, cause they didn't bother protecting the SPN ghost yet the HN ghost would readily lose an arm to protect the SN. Guess I'll have to take care of the HN if I want to kill the other ghost. So be it, I like a challenge anyway. Still, let's test just how protective this ghost is. As the HN ghost shot towards me with the SN taking up the rear, I dashed to the side with an orb of water appearing in my hand while I took aim at the SN. "Hado #2: Seiu!"

As the liquid bullets shot towards my target, the HN broke off its flight and shielded its companion from my attack. So it's willing to abandon the offensive to guard the other one. Perfect.

Swinging my chain in a wide arc to get around the HN and aim for the SN, causing the former of the two to fly back and have its shoulder pierced by my blade, allowing me to point my fingers at the SN unhindered as it flew towards me in a flank attack. "Hado #4: Byakurai!"

Arcing through the air as it left my finger tips, the lightning of my Kido exploded on contact with the ghost, creating a smoke screen that allowed me to activate my Shunko as I brought my leg back and soccer kick the ghost as it flew out of the smoke screen, causing its head to snap back while its body kept moving forward, sending it into a backwards spin before it struck the ground and tumbled across it, my Shunko deactivating as it came to a stop. Noticing movement out of the corner of my eye, I barely managed to dive and roll out of the way of the HN ghosts' claws as it sailed past me to float in front of the downed SN ghost. I smirked before I Shunpo'd to the side of the pair and swung my chain at the SN ghost, with the HN flying in front of its comrade and causing my dagger to stab into its stomach area.

I smirked as I formed a Shuryūdan while the HN ghost shot towards me. Waiting until the ghost was more then half way to me, I leaned to the side and threw the spiritual explosive towards the now standing, err, floating SN ghost. Arcing backwards from its current flight path, the HN ghost tried to catch up to the orb, only for it to be caught in my chain bind as the Shuryūdan exploded in the SN ghosts' face. Attempting to break free from my chain, the ghost started to sway violently from side to side before it shot upwards, taking my chain and subsequently me with it until the chain slipped off and caused me to drop to the ground with a thud as the HN dived with its claws out, forcing me to roll out of the way as the claws stabbed into the ground.

Jumping up from the ground I swung at the HN ghost as it stood up, managing to slash open its throat, causing a waterfall of black blood to spray out like a flattened fire hose. Pulling my chain back I spun it in a semi-circle before letting it fly, causing it to mimic a dart and pierce right into the HN ghosts' head.

 **Chain Dagger Mastery Leveled up.**

 **Chain Dagger Mastery is Lv: 12 Exp: 0.00%**

I dismissed the message as I tore my chain dagger out of the ghosts' skull before jumping up and into a horizontal position while spinning, marginally dodging the claws of the SN ghost and cutting half a dozen vertical lines up the HN ghosts' body as I landed on all fours, the ghost breaking apart as its body turned to ash.

I smirked before I looked to the SN ghost, which was now simply hovering over the field. As if sensing my smirk, it lifted its arms up and opened its mouth; the motion accompanied by a harrowing moan as the ashes of the other two ghosts flew up and entered its mouth. As the last of the ashes were consumed the moaning ceased, only for the ghosts head to begin spasm, with different parts bulging out before returning to the way they were before they bulged again with even more intensity. That is definitely not good.

And true to my thought, the bulges ended for a mere moment before a dozens of black rods erupted out of the ghosts head in varying angles, with a few piercing through its ears, mouth, even more piercing through its eyes, and a few of the rods going through a combination of the three. By the end of the process, the ghosts head looked like a murderous seamstress' wet dream…now there's an image I won't be getting out of my head anytime soon.

Looking up further to the ghosts' health bar, I noticed it had actually dropped. Before its head became a pincushion, its health had been about three quarters full, but now it was below half. "So you exchanged health for a new make up job? You could at least go for a look that doesn't say 'I'm a walking cactus'."

The ghost didn't seem to react for a moment, until it shot towards me in a burst of speed that caught me off guard, allowing it to slice through my side with its claws and send me tumbling across the ground. Clenching back a scream of pain, I sprang to my feet as a message appeared in front of me.

 **You have been 'Blinded', 'Deafened', and 'Muted' for: 0:05:00.**

"Wha-" was all I managed to get out before my vision began to darken until I couldn't see anything while all sounds faded from existence around me.

I used to try and imagine what it would be like to be blind when I was younger, but now that I'm experiencing it in full, I couldn't hate more. No matter how much my brain screamed for my eyes to see as I opened my eyes to the widest they could, the color would not return to my eyes, the unending expanse of darkness in front of me continuing without protest.

Suddenly sensing something approaching my side, I dived forward and rolled out of the way, the being rushing past me to my other side. Okay, so now I have a way to sense the general area of where the ghost is.

Spinning my chain as best I could, I waited as the sensation caused by the ghost drew closer jumping out of the way as it sailed towards me and caught part of my stomach with what I assume are its claws while I swung my chain down, feeling the sensation of the blade cutting through flesh transmitting far more intensely into my hand thanks to my sense of touch being super charged by my missing senses. Dodging back as I felt blood begin to spread across my stomach I lifted my hand and attempted to cast Seiu, the only sensations confirming my success being the slight moistening on my palm and the feeling of my now low reiryoku pulling from my core to my arm. As I felt the ghost jolt back in response to hopefully being hit by my Kido, I began twirling my chain in preparation for its next attack.

As if to answer my mind the ghost shot towards me. As it drew closer, I ran towards the ghost until it was less then a meter away from me and slid to my knees and bent back while shoving my dagger up, feeling the blade pierce flesh as the ghost flew over me. This also had the unfortunate effect of spilling the ghosts' blood all over me in a shower of luke-warm sludge. Sadly, not the grossest thing that has ever happened to me.

Clambering to my feet as the ghost whirled around, its malice radiating off of it in waves, I dropped my chain on the ground as I used what little reiryoku I had left to activate my Shunko, the sensation given off by my energy covering nothing but my right arm. As the ghost shot towards me, I clenched my fist and waited till the ghost was mere moments from clawing me, sending my fist forward with as much might as I could muster as the pain of the ghosts' claws just began cutting into the skin above my heart before they were blown away by the sudden wave of energy that blasted out of my arm.

For a few seconds I waited, wondering whether the fight was over when my vision suddenly cleared up to reveal…a shit-ton of message boxes in front of me.

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Lv: 9 Exp: 100%**

 **Range of Spiritual Sense is now: 40 meters**

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Lv: 10 Exp: 1.50%**

 **Range of Spiritual Sense is now: 50 meters**

 **Shunko Leveled up.**

 **Shunko is Lv: 5 Exp: 15.00%**

 **Physical and Spiritual Damage increases by 35%, Physical and Spiritual Damage received is decreased by 25% and consumes 50 RP per second. Can be released in a concentrated wave that deals a base damage of Total RP used. Deals continuous damage for every 3 seconds target is exposed to attack Maximum time of attack is 6 seconds. 12% chance of attack backfiring and dealing 75% damage to user.**

 **A Ghostly Trio!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Defeat all of the Triumvirate Ghosts**

 **Success: 50000 Exp**

 **Failure: Death**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?-Failed**

 **8000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Level up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Apprentice Ghost Buster**

 **Level: 22 Exp: 52100/700000**

 **HP: 775/775**

 **MP: 450/450**

 **RP: 1540/1540**

 **STR: 26**

 **VIT: 31**

 **DEX: 43**

 **INT: 18**

 **WIS: 19**

 **LUK: 17**

 **Points: 12**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster),** **Yoruichi's Apprentice (Gain +2 additional points to all stats per level gained while under Yoruichi's Apprenticeship, Hakudo Exp gain +50%, Shunko Exp gain +50%, Shunpo Exp gain +75%)**

 **A new Title has been unlocked.**

' **Ghost Buster' has been unlocked by: Defeating a group of Triumvirate Ghosts**

 **Forget calling someone, you're the one who gets called!**

 **Ghosts take 35% more damage from attacks. Undead and Spirits are not included.**

 **Damage from Ghosts is reduced by 30%. Undead and Spirits are not included.**

 **Gain 15% more Exp from killing Ghosts. Undead and Spirits are not included.**

 **Would you like to equip to this title?**

 **Yes/No**

After enjoying the sensation of my injuries disappearing, I read the quest one again. This had been the first time I had ever failed to obtain a bonus objective, and I was a little pissed off at myself.

Shaking my head to get rid of my self-degrading thoughts, I closed off the rest of the boxes and equipped my new title. And then I looked down at the state of my clothing and said "Yuck, I've been slimed."

Grumbling as I shook and tossed away as much gunk as I could while making my way to the items the ghost dropped and grabbed the several large wads of cash before picking up and using observe on the rest.

 **Vial Of Cursed Blood (2): Causes one random status effect (Blindness, Deafness, Muteness)**

 **Mana Drain**

 **By using this skill book, you will learn the skill 'Mana Drain'.**

 **Would you like to learn this skill?**

 **Yes/No**

I tapped the yes button after I inserted the vials into my inventory, enjoying the feel of new knowledge entering my brain.

 **A new skill has been learned from a skill book.**

 **'Mana Drain' has been created.**

 **Sometimes you just need a little willpower, and what better way to get it then by taking it from someone else.**

 **Mana Drain (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Drain target MP. The closer the user is to target, the more MP is drained. Maximum distance is 5 meters. Base Damage/MP absorbed is 5 per second plus 1 for every meter of distance reduced between target ex.1 meter away equals 9 points drained per second. Uses 12 HP or 60 RP per second.**

I was going to make a comment when another box popped in front of me. Again, I swear Gaia is doing this to piss me off.

 **By learning two corresponding skills, a related skill has been created.**

 **'Reiryoku Drain' has been created.**

 **By learning to absorb two different forms of energy, you have discovered a way to absorb a secret third type.**

 **Reiryoku Drain - Drain target RP. The closer the target is the more reiryoku is drained. Maximum distance is 5 meters. Base Damage/RP drained is Life Drain level + Mana Drain level multiplied by 10 per second. Draining power is unaffected by distance.**

Okay this skill is awesome and all, but it sounds really familiar. But where have I heard it before, it's right on the tip of my tongue…oh forget it, if it's important it will come to me eventually.

Wiping off as much gunk as I could, I used ID Escape and climbed out of the training room. Sneaking my messed up clothes into the shop laundry basket, gotta apologize to Tessai later, as quietly as I could before making my way to my room completely naked, I wiped away the two messages that told me I had leveled my Stealth skill twice and put on my new clothes.

Reaching into my inventory, I pulled out a few of the Ghost Claws and Teeth alongside a few strands of string. After tying the claws and teeth together, the brief flash of light that accompanied my Crafting skill disappeared to reveal the completed accessory.

 **Crafting successful!**

 **Crafted - 'Ghostly Wrist Talisman' – A talisman made from parts belonging to a malicious spirit that passively absorbs MP from the surrounding area. MP recovery increased by 15%.**

 **Learned 'Ghostly Wrist Talisman' recipe.**

Huh, I wasn't expecting much of a bonus, but this was pretty good. I looked up at the clock in my room and smiled before I reached into my inventory to pull out the costume I bought a while back. "Show time."

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

10 minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

Rukia walked up beside the crouching Ichigo after he finished his first Konso.

"You did that quite beautifully." She said as Ichigo stood up, sheathed his blade, and turned to leave.

"I'm gone." He said as he began walking towards the park exit.

Clap, clap, clap, clap "You should learn to take compliments Ichigo, it was a well preformed Konso."

Ichigo and Rukia whirled around at the sound of the voice, spotting a figure sitting on the jungle gym wearing a mostly black and gray outfit that seemed straight out of a game or anime with its uneven sleeves, shinobi style shin guards, and far-too-long-scarf, with a white mask that had pointed black eye holes and a Cheshire-style smile painted on it, making it look something like the face of an angry jester, that covered what little of his face could be seen under the hood, with soul chains wrapped around his left wrist beside a wrist band made of what looked to be very sharp black arrowheads [3].

"You know this guy Rukia? Is he some kind of special shinigami?" Ichigo asked as he reached for his Zanpakuto.

"No, not that I know of." Rukia answered Ichigo before facing directly towards the stranger. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"Who am I? You're seriously asking a man wearing a mask who he is? Tsk tsk, I thought you were smarter then that Rukia. Still, I don't like the thought of you two referring to me as 'him' or 'that guy' so for now you may call me Prosus [4], and I'm just here to observe"

"What do you mean observe?" Ichigo asked his grip still tight on his blade, his distrust of this 'Prosus' more then a little evident.

"Aren't you supposed to be at least a little smart? Observe means to watch or look at, and that's exactly what I mean." Before Ichigo had a chance to yell at him, Prosus suddenly appeared next to him before his eyes even registered that he left the jungle gym and whispered into his ear.

"There is a war coming Ichigo and you will be one of its deciding factors, so I suggest you work hard and don't try to back out or you'll lose more then you could possibly imagine." And just like that, the man flickered out of existence again, as if he had never been there, leaving behind a confused Rukia and a troubled Ichigo.

AN: Chapter 9 completed! Hope you guys and gals liked it, and stay tuned for the next update! Now for my markers.

[1] A medieval style of execution that involves cutting the victim horizontally and vertically, leaving them in four pieces.

[2] Kyle is about 5'10 or 178 cm

[3] Think the costume worn by the main character of Path of shadows, but replace the vary shades of blue with varying shades of black and grey but keep any thing that's white and replace anything brown with red, get rid of the sword and sheath, replace the beads on his left wrist with the soul chains and the bells with the ghostly wrist talisman. If you need a reference point, copy this link: www. mineimatorforums index. php?/topic /19256-path-of-shadows/ just make sure to remove the spaces(Also, if anyone wants to make a picture of this so people can get a better mental image I would be very grateful)

[4] Prosus is pronounced "pro-su-s", like "process" but with a 'u' instead of an 'e', and it isn't random and has an actual meaning

Please R&R.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Hey everyone, I'm back with a new chapter. Admittedly not one of my best, but not every chapter is going to have an epic battle, as there is a need for plot and transition.

A New Player

Chapter 10

"I like what you've done with the place. A little over the top, but still nice." Gaia told me as she looked around my newly created throne room, a single massive room with a giant mirror for a ceiling that reflected all that was beneath it, seemingly supported solely by a pair of parallel giant painted ivory carvings of the Legion Zombie and the SN Triumvirate Ghost after it had eaten the ashes of the other two ghosts. As I defeated more of the ID bosses, giant carvings of them would appear and begin supporting the room alongside the bosses already there.

A long red carpet with golden trim began at the giant oak door and continued across the flawless marble floor until the middle of the room, where the red of the carpet split to become a large circle with a ying-yang symbol in the middle before reforming as one and continuing on until it reach the elevated platform upon which the couch-like platinum throne I was currently sitting on was located. Running alongside the carpet were meter high poles with flat tops, over which my Shunko flames blazed an inch above the metal tops.

"What can I say, I believe in the phrase 'If something's worth doing, its worth over doing'." I smiled as I leaned on one of the cushioned arms of my throne. When I originally created my throne I made the standard pure metal throne with a single cushion. Turns out that those things are absolute hell on the ass no matter how big and fluffy the cushion is, so I tossed it off the side of the castle island. Now it just slowly floats around the sky in random directions like the other masses that were already populating azure backdrop.

"You mean like how you made the ceiling a mirror so you could look down my dress?" I snorted a bit at Gaia's accusation.

"Oh please, I'll look when you give yourself something to show off." I recently learned that Gaia could change her physical body into whatever she wanted, including but not limited to giving herself boobs that made Rangiku look flat. Hell, when she first showed up to greet me today, she had changed her hair from long and green to short and purple, turned herself into a seven year old, and was wearing a child-sized kimono with flowers on it. "Besides, you wanted the floor to be a mirror. At least my idea isn't so blatantly obvious."

A sudden sensation at the back of my head halted my words as I sensed Jinta coming to wake me up. It was an odd sensation, like someone gently poking you from inside your own head. "Huh, looks like that's the wake up bell."

I shut my eyes for a moment before reopening them to find Jinta with his mouth open and about to yell at me, only to stop as he realized I was awake. We simply stared at each other for a moment, before finally my desire for food defeated my desire to win my impromptu staring contest with the red-headed boy.

WHAM!

XxxxXxxxX

Two minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"You've gotten better. I only hit your forehead instead of square in the center of your face this time." I complimented Jinta as I chewed on my breakfast, a combination of rice and a few vegetables and meats in a single bowl. Jinta only growled a reply as he rubbed the bandage on his head. "Oh lighten up; I'm taking you and Ururu into the ghost ID so stop grumbling."

Jinta and Ururu both perked up before the boy started shoving as much food in his mouth as he possibly could, resulting in him choking and Ururu lightly slapping him on his back repeatedly until his face returned to normal. He then proceeded to keep shoveling food into his mouth until there was nothing left and bolted into the back room where the hatch to the training room was located, followed closely by Ururu who thanked Tessai for the food and tried to catch up to her friend.

Eating my meal as slowly as I could just to piss the boy off, I eventually made my way down into the training room and used ID Create: Ghost after informing the two kids about how to defeat the ghosts. Hopefully the advice will stick with them.

XxxxXxxxX

Not even five minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"How the hell do you kill these things again?" Jinta yelled as he swung at another ghost, only for it to phase right through his club and almost get him with its claws.

"You have to push your Mana or Reiryoku into your weapon Jinta; it's the only way for physical attacks to hurt them." I told him with a sigh as I used Mana Drain on the unfortunate ghost that was bound by my chain. The kid has the strength to lift a giant club of solid iron, but couldn't remember a damn thing about anything that didn't fall under the category of 'Smash the enemy'. "And stay close to Ururu, I don't want you two straying too far away!"

Jinta grumbled a reply that I couldn't really hear but nodded his head as he fell back beside Ururu as she fired another shot from her cannon, a faint glow wrapping around his hammer. I returned to siphoning the Mana from the ghost on the ground, my chain pinning its arms as my Shunko shrouded foot kept its face planted into the ground. I wasn't truly paying attention though as I remembered Ichigo's stats from when I used observe on him in the park.

 **Ichigo Kurosaki**

 **Lv: 20 Exp: 95.30%**

 **HP: 900/900**

 **MP: 400/400**

 **RP: 1460/1460**

 **STR: 34**

 **VIT: 36**

 **DEX: 26**

 **INT: 16**

 **WIS: 16**

 **LUK: 18**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

Jumping sixteen levels in less then four days, that is such bullshit. Then again, the fact that Ichigo absorbed Rukia's power and only jumped sixteen levels could be considered bullshit from the other end of the spectrum. Rukia had been level 36 and Ichigo was only half that level. Huh, I guess Ichigo is the one who should be complaining. Oh well, it'll work itself out. Probably.

"Kyle, help!" My mind was ripped out its musings as my head snapped towards the sound of Jinta and Ururu's cry only to see that the two of them were surrounded by ghosts, all of which were preparing to attack. Not giving any thought as I shunpo'd in front of the two I unleashed my Reiatsu, and forced the ghosts into the ground.

"Back off." I growled out as I increased the pressure I was exerting. Whether or not the ghosts understood the actual words I'm not sure, but they seemed to get the message as they began pushing themselves away from me. So this is what it feels like to pressure someone into fleeing. I could get used to it.

Raising my hand to the sky, I used ID Escape before turning to the pair behind me, who were both looking at me with stars in their eyes. "That was awesome, Big Bro!"

Ururu nodded her head as I raised my eyebrow. "Big Bro?"

"Yeah, the way you made those ghosts run away was awesome. All you did was say 'Back Off' and they ran with their tails between their legs! You've got to teach me that! Please, Big Bro?" Jinta exclaimed as he imitated what I assumed were my facial expressions, while my mind began to wonder.

" _Please, Big Brother?"_

I closed my eyes and shook my head as I pushed old memories to the back of my head. The past was in the past, the present is what I should concentrate on. "Maybe I will Jinta, but not until you get your stats a bit higher."

Jinta nodded furiously as a grin stretched across his face. "Alright then, make a new ID and let's get started!"

I chuckled a bit. "Actually Jinta, you don't have to level up to gain stat points. It's actually best if you…just….train…them." My voice strained as I reached the last few words. "Excuse me for a moment."

I turned around and walked up to one of the boulders that littered the training room, grabbed on to it as best I could, brought my head back and…THWACK.

"Ow."

THWACK.

"Ow."

THWACK.

"Ow."

I don't know how long I kept smacking my head against the solid stone, the headache I was getting kind distorted my sense of time, but apparently it was long enough for Jinta and Ururu to inform the other residents of the shop, if Urahara's voice was anything to go on. "How long has he been doing this?"

"About five minutes." Only five? I thought for sure it was at least ten.

"And you didn't bother stopping him?"

"Nah, it's too much fun to watch." Without stopping my head whacking, I kneeled down and picked up a stone about the size of an orange before throwing it over my shoulder as best I could.

WHAP.

"YOW!" Bull's-eye.

"As amusing as it is watching Jinta being justifiably punished, I must ask why you're doing that." Urahara told me. I turned around and looked at the group before sighing to myself.

"As you already know, when ever I level up with my powers, I gain stat points that can increase my stats. Not only that, I can do things like manual labor and studying to increase different stats without needing to level up. But what I forgot was that using the non-leveling up method of obtaining stat points becomes harder as the stats grow." I jumped up and latched onto the shoulder straps of Tessai's apron like in cartoons and started trying to shake him, though I only ended up looking like I was unsuccessfully trying to head butt him. "But now that I'm higher level it's going to be hell to increase them! I've gone and screwed myself over because I was too damn stupid to remember one of the basic rules of gaming!"

Letting go of Tessai, I looked up at the giant of a man. "Thank you for letting me do that Tessai, I needed to blow off some steam."

"It is fine, I'm glad I could be of service. Would you mind staying still while I heal your head?" I simply nodded as his hand glowed a bluish green before he placed it over my forehead. Within a few seconds the dull pain of my head subsided.

"Again, thanks." I nodded to the large man, who simply nodded back as steam came out of his nose.

"So, can you think of anything that could help me?" I asked as I turned to Urahara, who tapped his fan against his chin for a moment before looking up at me.

"If what you said is true, why don't you just do normal exercises and go to a library?" the moment the words left his lips, the sound of glass shattering filled the room, or at the very least my head. I stood still for a moment before turning around and walking back to the boulder.

"Ow."

THWACK!

"Ow."

THWACK!

"Ow."

"Kyle, would you please stop denting that boulder? Those things aren't easy to come by."

XxxxXxxxX

A few minutes (and a few Shunpo steps) later

XxxxXxxxX

I stood outside what I assumed to be Karakura's main library, or at least I assumed it was the main library from the size of the building and the rows of book-filled shelves that could be seen through the window. Either that, or someone was really proud of their book collection and felt the need to show it off. Walking through the double doors and taking note of the librarian at the front desk just off to the side of the entrance, I began trekking through the expansive shelves, taking note of any books that seemed interesting or 'unusual'. After all, how many stories begin with the main character going through a library and somehow managing to pick out the one book in thousands, nay, tens of thousands that holds some life altering secret or unbelievable ancient power?

I stopped in front of one shelf and randomly grabbed hold of a book before flipping it open… and I forgot I can't read Japanese. Well, that makes this trip absolutely worthless.

I growled and forced myself not to beat my head in with the book in my hand before returning it to the shelf. I was about to turn back towards the librarian at the front to ask if they had any books in English when something in my mind clicked.

Urahara hadn't known I couldn't read Japanese characters when he wrote down instructions on how to fight using Hakudo, so it's more then likely that he wrote them down in Japanese, yet I could still learn the skill associated with the instructions, which means my ability to learn skills from books wasn't limited by my ability to actually read the language the books were written in. While this didn't help with the whole 'studying to increase my INT and WIS' plan, it did give me some useful information on my powers.

 **For thinking carefully about your situation, your WIS has increased by 1.**

Feeling a bit better with myself, I walked to the front desk and faced the librarian. "Excuse me, but do you have any books in English, or any translation books?"

The librarian looked thoughtful for a moment before she gave me a light smile. "If we do, they will be in the third shelf to the left. Also, if you're looking to buy a standard English-to-Japanese translation book we have them on sale today for only 4000 yen, and a more extensive one for 9000 yen. Would you like to buy one?"

I nodded my head and breathed out a command to bring up my Inventory before quickly swiped my hand over my money and flicked my wrist, allowing me to mimic a magician pulling a card or coin out of thin air. Of course, I was literally pulling something out of thin air where as they were just palming the object out of their sleeve, but it still looked the same. Either way it impressed the librarian as I handed her 9000 yen. Reaching below the top the desk, she pulled out a mid-sized book that, judging by its thickness, was meant to go in a high school student's back pack rather then a tourist's pocket. I was kind of upset when I grabbed the book and no windows popped up to tell me I could simply learn the Japanese language automatically, but I would get over it. I was about to move away and pick out a few books when a thought popped into my head and I turned to the librarian. "Hey, do you have any books about the occult or books about ancient spells and stuff?"

The librarian gave me a surprised look, probably not expecting me to ask something like that. "I believe you can find them near the back on one of the right hand shelves."

Magic and occult in the back, how cliché. Still, I might be able to find something of use in there. Walking away from the librarian, I began scanning across the various books while looking at my new translation book. After a half hour of looking and translating I managed to pick out a few small books and find a nice place to sit, vowing to check out the occult books after I raised my INT, and hopefully WIS, a few points.

An hour later, I closed the third book with a satisfied smile. It had been a little strange constantly switching between translating and reading the books, but it was fun nonetheless. The extra two points in INT didn't hurt either. I looked up at the clock to find that it was getting close to noon. Almost time for my next visit with Ichigo.

Getting up from my seat, I returned the books to where I found them and trotted over to where the occult books were supposed to be. Picking them up one after another, I grumbled when no boxes popped up, my agitation growing each time I put back a book.

Grabbing onto one last book before heading out, I smiled when a box popped in front of me, a smile that grew even bigger when I read what was written in the box. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

30 minutes later

Karakura High rooftop

XxxxXxxxX

Ichigo found himself tuning out whatever it was that his friends were talking about as his mind repeated the words Prosus had told him yesterday. Was the guy going to start a war? If so, with who? The shinigami? Why would Prosus do that, and what about him being a 'deciding factor'?

All these questions tumbled around in his head, but the one that kept him up during the night was the last part. _"_ _Don't try to back out or you'll lose more then you could possibly imagine."_

Was that a warning, or a threat?

Ichigo scowled deeper as the thought crossed his mind. Warning or threat, the way Prosus spoke more then subtly implied he didn't have much choice in the matter. The weird feeling he was getting from the bird Chad brought with him didn't help with his worries. He raised his head and looked to the other people occupying the roof, all of them with exception of Rukia, Chad's bird, and Prosus being his close friends…wait.

Ichigo whipped his head towards where the hooded man was standing a top the fence that surrounded the rooftop, who gave him a short wave in response. Glancing to Rukia, Ichigo saw how she was also looking at Prosus, albeit more subtly then Ichigo himself.

The pair stiffened as Prosus reached behind his back… and then he pulled out a trio of rubber balls and began juggling them while standing on the fence, causing the two of them to nearly fall on their faces.

Mizuiro seemed to notice as he looked to where Ichigo had been staring only to find nothing but thin air. "Hey Ichigo, you alright?"

"I'm fine, just lost my balance for a second." Ichigo grumbled as Prosus reappeared the moment Mizuiro turned his back and began dancing on top of the fence. Ichigo could feel his teeth grinding against each other as Prosus disappeared again as everyone else looked to where he had been staring.

"Are you sure you're okay Ichigo? You seem grumpier then usual." Keigo asked as he turned to look at the orange haired boy.

"I just didn't get much sleep last night." Ichigo growled as Prosus flickered in existence yet again, this time holding up a crumpled ball of paper. Ichigo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as the man tossed it towards the group and vanished before it hit the ground, in front of Ichigo.

"Huh, where did that come from?" Keigo wondered out loud as Ichigo picked up the ball and unfolded it. Ichigo didn't notice whoever spoke next as his mind was to busy processing what was written on the paper.

 _In some ancient cultures, liars had their tongues carved out so they could not speak again. Beware the forked-tongue and his minions._

"What does it say Ichigo?" Ichigo snapped out of his thoughts as Rukia spoke to him. Ichigo looked around to find everyone was staring at him. Heaving a sigh, Ichigo crumpled the piece of paper and tossed it over his shoulder and through the fence.

"Nothing, just a bunch of scribbles." Ichigo didn't know who he was trying to convince, his friends or himself.

XxxxXxxxX

Nearby

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle chuckled as he finished putting away his costume and mentally thanked the librarian for selling him the translation book; it made delivering his message so much easier. Sure he could have just told Ichigo about Shrieker, but where would the fun in that be?

Shunpo-ing away and into an alley, Kyle smirked as he activated his new spell.

XxxxXxxxX

6 Hours later

XxxxXxxxX

Ururu slowly swept the front of the Urahara store as Jinta lazily slept on the steps. Hearing a rustle from some nearby bushes, Ururu looked towards the sound to find a kitten with pure white fur save for a single black haired paw padding towards her. Stopping in front of her, the kitten let out a cute little meow that caused the young girls' heart to melt

Putting the broom down, Ururu cautiously picked up the small cat and cradled it in her arms while lightly scratching the top of its head, receiving a light purr in response. Momentarily forgetting the chores Jinta had forced on her, Ururu hurried into the shop and presented the kitten to Urahara as he sat at the table. "C-can we keep him?"

Urahara looked surprised at the girl's request, largely from the fact that Ururu never asked for anything. Ever. She didn't even ask for anything for her birthday, yet got presents for everyone on theirs. Honestly, he wondered if Ururu was even capable of being selfish. Still, he wasn't exactly enthused about having a pet in his shop, but much like everyone else he hated seeing Ururu cry. "I don't know Ururu, it seems very well behaved, it might be someone else's pet. It wouldn't be fair to take him away."

Ururu saddened for a moment, before looking up again. "T-then, can we keep him until someone comes for him?"

"Hmm, I suppose we can, but he's your responsibility. That means feeding him, cleaning up after him, and keeping him clean." Urahara told her, receiving a surprisingly fierce nod from the girl. "Now that that's out of the way, what are you gonna call him?"

Ururu looked down at the sleeping kitten in her arms, for a moment. "I'll call him Kuroashi [1]."

Smiling down at the kitten, Ururu ran quietly to her room and placed Kuroashi on her pillow, content with lightly petting him as she laid down next to the kitten, slowly falling asleep herself as she listened to the slight breathing of her new friend.

XxxxXxxxX

1 hour later

XxxxXxxxX

"I'm back." Kyle called as he entered the shop.

"Welcome back. How did it go?" Tessai asked as he cleaned the few dishes were in the sink.

"It went alright. I managed to up my INT and WIS, so I think I'll go back tomorrow to do it again. Anything new happen while I was gone?" Kyle asked as he sat down near the table and accepted the tea that Tessai placed in front of him, thanking him before gulping down the contents of the cup.

"Ururu picked up a stray kitten while you were out." Tessai answered as he returned to his previous task.

"Really? Didn't think Urahara would let her keep a pet." Kyle's eyebrows rose as he sipped at his tea.

"It was the first time Ururu really asked for anything that wasn't needed. I don't think anybody could have said no to her." Tessai told the brown haired teen, who only nodded in return, a gesture that the giant somehow managed to pick up despite facing the other direction.

AN: And that is the end of chapter 10. I know it was a weak ending, but as the story goes on it will be easier for me to end chapters as I get more comfortable with the transition. Now for markers.

[1] Pronounced Kuro-aa-shee, it means 'Black Paw'


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I felt a rush of inspiration and ended up writing this chapter. Also, this chapter is the reason I'm gonna have to classify this story as M-rated due to 'Graphic Imagery'. You have been warned, so don't go crying about it in the reviews. Now on with the story!

A New Player

Chapter 11

Ururu preformed the closest thing she could to a grumble as the late morning sunlight pierced through her eyelids, waking her from the land of sleep and pulling her into the waking world. Sitting up from her futon, the young girl stretched out her arms before rubbing her eyes, a yawn escaping her mouth as she did so.

Finally bringing her consciousness to an acceptable standard, Ururu turned her head to peer around the room, her gaze eventually making her way to her pillow, where there was a second indention next to where her head had been. As she stared at the valley in her pillow, the fog in her mind began to disperse as realization dawned on her.

"…Kuroashi?"

XxxxXxxxX

Five minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"Well, I have to give credit where credit is due. That was one smart cat. He managed to open the sliding door by stabbing his claws into the frame and pulling on it until he had a large enough space to squeeze through to the backyard, then climbed the unused boxes we keep next the fence like stairs." Urahara told us as we stood in the aforementioned yard. "Sorry Ururu, but Kuroashi being that proficient at using sliding doors likely means he was someone's pet. I did warn you that was a possibility."

Ururu's eyes widened at Urahara's last statement, before clamping together as she began to cry, causing everyone including Tessai of all people to turn and glare at the clog wearing shop keeper, who took a comedic step back in fear and he brought up his fan to cover his mouth as it seemed even the very earth and air seemed to glare at him. "Of course, he seemed to like it here and he might just be a really smart alley cat who went looking for breakfast and will come back after he's eaten."

Ururu looked up at the shopkeeper, oblivious to the glares the other residents and the world itself were giving the man, hope apparent in her eyes. "Y-you think so?"

"Of course! Why, I bet he's coming back as we speak, so why don't you go and get a few things to make him more comfortable, Hm?" Urahara franticly told the girl as she nodded and ran back into the shop before he turned to the rest of the group. "Can you please stop glaring at me now? It's rather uncomfortable."

Everyone held their glare for a moment longer before they relented. "Thank you. Now then, Jinta, the front of the store still needs sweeping and Kyle, there are a few more deliveries to make, but the addresses are printed on the packages so you shouldn't have too much trouble."

Jinta grumbled a bit as he followed Kyle back into the house, leaving the three adults in the yard.

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle's POV

Front of shop

XxxxXxxxX

I had just slipped the last of the packages into my inventory when a new box popped in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Delivery boy!**

 **Objectives:**

 **Deliver the package to the warehouse on 18th Street**

 **Deliver the package to the temple on Shōrai Hill**

 **Deliver the package to the construction site on 32nd Ave**

 **Deliver the package to the warehouse on 45th Street**

 **Success: 800 Exp**

 **Failure: 100 Exp**

 **No Bonus Objectives**

Not exactly a big reward, but it gave me a good reason to work on my Shunpo and it helped to kill time before Shrieker showed up. I ignored Jinta as he started to whine about his chores as I shunpo'd on top of the building across the street and began making my way across the rooftops. I always enjoyed running across the rooftops, it allowed me time to think about my current situation. My new spell might have been pretty useless for combat at the moment, but it provided me an opportunity. Now it was just a matter of making sure not to let it slip through my fingers.

XxxxXxxxX

One hour later

XxxxXxxxX

I flashed into an unoccupied alleyway near the entrance to Shōrai Hill, though the 'entrance' was really just a single red arch with an old-fashioned sign on top, leading into a stone walkway that turned into stone steps that climbed up a reasonably large hill, upon which sat Shōrai Temple, a single story building with a golden roof and red paint. A pristine image of a beautiful temple.

At least, that's how it might have, looked once upon a time. Now though, just from a glance I could see the red paint was chipped and cracked, the golden roof now little more than a dull yellow. Walking up the stairs, I entered through the open doors of the temple. The inside was even worse than the outside; the offering box was broken in several places, there were noticeable cobwebs on all over the place, and scent of dust was completely overpowering.

Yet I could sense…something. It wasn't power, or even danger. It was just there, like the sky; untouchable but existing nonetheless.

"Ho ho, it isn't everyday this place gets a visitor. To what do I owe the pleasure?" My head snapped to the side to find an elderly woman wearing a shrine maiden's outfit sitting at a small table. On the table there was a small, handle-less black rimmed mirror.

"I have a delivery for you, from the Urahara Shop." I told her as I reached behind myself and secretly called up my inventory, pulling out the package that had been marked for the temple and turning back to the woman. It was the smallest package, barely bigger then my hand and less than an inch thick, and that was just the box.

"Oh yes, I almost thought it wasn't going to show up." I brought the package over and was about to pull out the receipt when she removed the wrapping and took off the lid of the box, revealing what could have been the white rimmed twin to the mirror on the table, save for one other difference.

Instead of a reflective mirror, there was only a pitch black space with no reflective sheen anywhere on the surface.

"You shouldn't stare so much, or you might not be able to stop." The cheery tone of the woman snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry, it's just it was too interesting not to Observe." I replied as I made sure to keep both the mirrors and the woman in my sights.

 **Kako Genzai**

 **Title: Head Shōrai Priestess (+75% effectiveness towards Space/Time Magic and Items)**

 **Lv: 10 Exp: 0.00%**

 **HP: 100/100**

 **MP: ?**

 **RP: ?**

 **STR: 4**

 **VIT: 4**

 **DEX: 7**

 **INT: ?**

 **WIS: ?**

 **LUK: ?**

 **Status: Level up 'Observe' in order to view other beings Status, Attribute Buffs, Equipment Buffs, and to see exactly how much Exp is needed before target levels up.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 15 Exp: 10.50%**

 **Ataete No Me [1]**

 **The white rimmed half of the Subete Saito No Me [2], it gives to its viewer what its counterpart receives.**

 **Jushin No Me [3]**

 **The black rimmed half of the Subete Saito No Me, what it receives from its viewer it gives to its counterpart.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 16 Exp: 5.00%**

Okay, I'm happy about Observe leveling up, but I'm both worried and wondering about those mirrors.

"Would you like to know a piece of your future?" Kako asked me as I snapped out of my musings.

"Just a piece? Not the whole thing?" I grinned as my eyebrow rose.

"I could tell you the whole thing, but then we'd be stuck here until my heart finally gave out." Kako chuckled as she picked up the Jushin No Me and handed it to me. "Just look into the mirror, and don't look away until I am done. But remember this; what I tell you, you might not like."

I nodded as I took hold of the mirror and looked at my reflection, my onyx eyes staring right back as Kako picked up the Ataete No Me. As she looked into her mirror, I looked back into mine.

"I see…an all-consuming inferno that swallows even that which cannot be swallowed, the blazing flames surrounding an all-encompassing tempest that could tear apart existence itself. I see the world slowly being consumed and replaced by them…" As the words left her mouth I found my vision being filled with the image she spoke of, the temple vanishing from view.

"I see…an all-consuming inferno that swallows even that which cannot be swallowed, the blazing flames surrounding an all-encompassing tempest that could tear apart existence itself. I see the world slowly being consumed and replaced by them…" As the words left her mouth I found my vision being filled with the image she spoke of, the temple vanishing from view as the fire and wind circled around me, causing me to close my eyes for a brief moment. When I reopened them, I found myself in a valley, surrounded on all sides by distant snow-capped mountains.

Looking up, I saw a pitch black sky, yet it was not night. Actually, it couldn't really be called a 'sky', it was just a black void, the light that allowed me to see coming solely from the solar eclipse that hovered in the center of the 'sky'. I continued to stare at it, even though I had been told all my life not to stare directly at an eclipse. But even as the thought passed through my head, I didn't feel the need to care. In fact, I couldn't feel...anything.

It wasn't that I felt hollow, just...dazed; like I was caught between a dream and consciousness. I could see just fine, but I didn't focus on anything. For a moment more, I stared at the void above me, when without warning something shot down and landed beside me with a loud crunch. Taking a glance, I saw that the object was...a small stone grave marker. What caught my attention next was the small pool of crimson liquid that seeped out from the marker, slowly making its outward in a perfect circle. A small glint caught the corner of my eye as a silvery flash shot down from the black 'sky', this time farther away but still close enough that I could hear a hollow thud that signaled its impact with the ground. Twisting my neck to get a better view, I saw that it was a wooden cross; another kind of grave marker, the same crimson liquid pooling from it's center just like the previous one.

Before I could even grasp what all this could mean, another object fell from the void, followed by two more, and then three, then six, and then a dozen, and the a hundred, then countless more began raining down around me in all different sizes and materials; metal crosses, tombstones, wooden alters, all of them accompanied by there own ever-expanding pool of red.

Within moments the barren ground was swallowed by the red tides, leaving nothing but a red sea covered in graves. Driven by an unknown force, I looked down and saw my uncaring crimson reflection staring right back. A moment passed, when suddenly I fell into the water with a splash, as if the ground I had previously been standing on ceased to exist. Sinking further into the ocean of red, I looked down into the abyss that hid the bottom of the crimson sea from my sight.

What was that old saying again? 'Stare long enough into the abyss and you'll find the abyss staring back at you'? That saying had always confused me. It never mentions the abyss itself being a bad thing, just that it was an abyss, something unknown, something that remained hidden from view. That didn't make it evil, yet people assumed it be because they didn't know what it was. Personally, I wanted to dive into the abyss, to see what it hid, regardless if it was good or evil, both or neither; it wouldn't matter to me, I would be fine either way. I left my internal musings as a shape drifted up from the darkness. Looking closer, I saw that it was a body, the corpse of the tiki-masked hollow I killed on my first day in this world.

And then more shapes rose.

At first it was the zombies of my ID, the hollow centipede, the legion zombie, the ghosts and triumvirate ghosts from the ghost ID; familiar sights. But before long, new bodies started to appear, gaining in frequency and amount as the moments ticked by. Angels, demons, humans, things that I couldn't place, all of them rising from the depths. Some wearing faces of joy and happiness, others had faces frozen in terror or rage. Despite all this I felt...content, even at ease, as disturbing as the thought sounded.

Looking straight down into the abyss, I continued to sink until I found myself in front of a rimless oval mirror that, despite its current whereabouts, offered a perfect reflection. Reaching out to my reflection, instead of stopping against the surface of the object my hand phased right through it, my body following suit. As my face met the surface of the mirror, I closed my eyes on sheer instinct. When I opened them, I found myself on the surface, surrounded once again by endless grave markers within a crimson sea.

For a moment, nothing happened, before a large hand slowly rose from beneath the surface next to a grave marker and pressed flat against the surface of the sea as if it was solid, raising itself up to reveal the soaked form of the tiki-masked hollow, who stood just like when I first met it. But it did not move towards me, or make any attempts to attack. Soon others appeared from the depths, dripping crimson water from their frames as they rose to stand around me. They did not attack. They did not move. It was as if they were waiting for something. In some small, distant part of my mind I felt like I knew what it was, but I couldn't think for to long as a burst of static clouded my vision and my hearing for a single moment.

And just like that, I was back in the temple, the mirror still in my hand.

"I did warn you that you might not like what you see." Kako said as she reached out and took the mirror from my hand, her eyes now carrying a glimmer of an emotion I couldn't pin down. "Now, I suggest you hurry on out, I'm sure you have other business to attend to."

I don't know how, but in the next moment I found myself hunched over outside the temple. What was I supposed to think?

What I saw, it had to be a trick, right? But then, why did it feel so wrong to think that? That hellish image, a normal person would have thrown up by now. But I didn't, not only because of my Gamer's Mind, but because I refused to break like so many others would.

Lifting my hand, I wiped off some of the sweat from my forehead and straightened out my back, my footsteps heavy on the stone steps of the temple.

XxxxXxxxX

Two hours later

XxxxXxxxX

I dropped off the last of the packages and closed the quest complete screen that popped up before beginning my trek back to Urahara's, my mind still occupied by what Kako had shown me. The feeling of disgust had been replaced by my Gamer's Mind with a desire to analyze what I had been told, starting with the first part about the inferno and tempest.

The fire was more than likely about me, but what did the 'all-consuming' mean? Cliché as the thought may be, was I going to destroy this world? Or did it mean I couldn't die because I just 'consumed' anything that tried to hurt me?

But if I was all-consuming, why was there an 'all-encompassing tempest'? Kako described the flames as 'surrounding' the tempest, so was the tempest fueling the fire? Or was the fire protecting the tempest in some way?

I stopped walking as a new thought occurred to me. My Shunko took the form of fire and was composed of my Reiryoku, which surrounded my Mana. So if I used my Mana instead of my Reiryoku to activate my Shunko, would it look like Soi-Fon's, or would it be a new technique all together? Damn it, it was a sound theory, but I needed more information!

Kako had also said that the inferno and tempest slowly consumed and replaced the world. I don't even know where to begin on that one. What, was I going to replace the Soul King or something? Yeah, I'll pass on that; I like having my limbs.

I shivered as I thought of the last part of my 'future'.

I wanted to convince myself that what I saw was a trick, that it wasn't real, that I had nothing to do with it. But I knew that I did, and if that was my future, then I wouldn't look away, no matter how much my brain told me to do so, no matter how much it wanted me to close my eyes and pretend that it wasn't there, I would see and accept it all. I was too stubborn not to.

I shook my head free of my thoughts. Look at me, getting worked up over something that might not even happen. I needed something to take my mind off this, and I knew just what to do.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

Three hours later

Urahara Shop

XxxxXxxxX

Ururu fiddled with her fingers as she waited out front, desperately hoping Kuroashi would show up. She was just about to give up when she felt something soft and fluffy rub against her hand. Looking down she found the very kitten she had been looking for.

"Kuroashi!" Ururu happily gasped as the kitten crawled onto her lap and looked up at the dark haired girl with a small meow. Reaching into her back pocket, Ururu pulled out a little cat toy she had found in Yoruichi's room and began moving it in front of the kitten, who looked at it for a moment before his head perked up and he began to swat at it with clumsy paw swipes. The pair continued on like that for nearly half an hour until Tessai came to inform Ururu that it was time to eat. Ururu turned to pick up her friend when she saw him jump onto the porch and follow Tessai inside. The appearance of Kuroashi at dinner was…interesting.

"See Ururu, I told you he would come back." Kisuke laughed behind his fan as the aforementioned girl scratched Kuroashi behind the ear.

"I don't see what the big deal is. If you wanted a cat so badly, why didn't you just ask Yoruichi to stay as one?" Jinta asked as he put his face in front of the kitten, which reached out and placed a black-haired paw on his forehead. And then the claws came out.

"YAAH!" Jinta yelped as he reared back and smacked the back of his head against the wall, knocking him out cold. Kuroashi seemed to purr in delight at the red-head's actions before he felt himself being picked up as Yoruichi hugged him in between her breasts.

"Aww, he's so cute. I'm jealous of you Ururu." Yoruichi cooed as pressed the cat further into her bosom.

"Yoruichi, I think you're suffocating him." Tessai told her as he finished healing Jinta's head.

Yoruichi looked up in surprise at the man's suggestion before pulling the unmoving kitten out from between her chest, who started gasping for breathe as Jinta woke up from his short trip to unconsciousness and sent a glare towards the cat as Yoruichi hugged him a bit more lightly before giving him back to Ururu. Growling a bit as he returned to his food, the boy spoke up. "Hey, does anyone know where Big Bro is?"

"Big Bro?" the adults in the room looked towards Jinta in confusion.

"He means Kyle." Ururu answered as she scratched the top Kuroashi's head.

"Ah. I sensed his Reiatsu vanish a while ago, so he must have gone into one of his barriers." Urahara told the boy.

"You mean he can't be sensed when he's in a dungeon?" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at Urahara's words.

"Not by someone on the outside, and you can't get in unless you have Kyle's permission or you happen to be able to resist the barrier as it's formed. I tried to enter into it after he took Ururu and Jinta in one to train, but I only went through the barrier instead of going inside. It seems once it's fully formed it won't allow outside interference. I've figured out part of what happens inside the barriers when the creatures it creates are made, but I can't figure out how the actual barriers work." Urahara tapped his fan against his chin in irritation. He didn't like not knowing things; it made him feel vulnerable, as if the smallest bit of missed information could be the key to a problem he hadn't yet come across.

As the adults began speaking about Kyle's abilities, no one noticed the glint that flashed through Kuroashi's eye.

XxxxXxxxX

Shōrai Temple

XxxxXxxxX

Kako sat outside the temple, sipping a cup of tea under the star filled sky. Her final self-appointed task was finished, and she could now rest easy. Setting down her now finished tea, she looked up at the night sky as her heart beat began to slow.

"Heh, he was even more interesting than I expected him to be. I wonder what kind of face he'll make when he figures out what I meant"

"Ne, Gaia?"

And with that last breath, Kako Genzai whispered a question to someone that no one else could see, a smile present on her face as her heart ceased to beat anymore.

AN: Chapter 11, done! I thought about putting the battle with Shrieker in here, but no matter what I did it just wouldn't come out right, so I eventually just scrapped it all together. Now for the markers.

[1] Pronounced Ata-ee-tey no me, it means 'Eye Of Giving'

[2] Pronounced Suu-be-te sai-to no me, it means 'Eyes Of True Sight'

[3] Pronounced Ju-shin no me, it means 'Eye Of Receiving'


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and all those wonderful holiday greetings from the one and only Jin Claus! Where might Santa be? Unconscious and likely in a coma thanks to my favorite piece of sports equipment, the Homerun Bat; causing deaths and feuds amongst friends since 1999! Consider this an early Christmas/Hanukkah/etc. present, and read on!

A New Player

Chapter 12

Growling a bit as he returned to his food after his short bout with unconsciousness, Jinta spoke up. "Hey, does anyone know where Big Bro is?"

"Big Bro?" the adults in the room looked towards Jinta in confusion.

"He means Kyle." Ururu answered as she scratched the top Kuroashi's head.

"Ah. I sensed his Reiatsu vanish a while ago, so he must have gone into one of his barriers." Urahara told the boy.

"You mean he can't be sensed when he's in a dungeon?" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow at Urahara's words.

"Not by someone on the outside, and you can't get in unless you have Kyle's permission or you happen to be able to resist the barrier as it's formed. I tried to enter into it after he took Ururu and Jinta in one to train, but I only went through the barrier instead of going inside. It seems once it's fully formed it won't allow outside interference. I've figured out part of what happens inside the barriers when the creatures it creates are made, but I can't figure out how the actual barriers work." Urahara tapped his fan against his chin in irritation. He didn't like not knowing things; it made him feel vulnerable, as if the smallest bit of missed information could be the key to a problem he hadn't yet come across.

As the adults began speaking about Kyle's abilities, no one noticed the glint that flashed through Kuroashi's eye.

XxxxXxxxX

Three hours ago

XxxxXxxxX

Ichigo's rapid footsteps echoed through the empty streets after he dropped off Karin at home. He knew leaving Rukia to face a hollow alone wasn't a good idea, but he couldn't let anything happen to his sister. He knew the de-powered shinigami was far from helpless, but that didn't ease the worry in his gut. "Dammit, hang on Rukia."

"What's she hanging on?"

Ichigo's head snapped to the side at the taunting voice of Prosus as the masked man ran beside him. "Wha-"

"I suggest you stop running." Ichigo felt his anger spike as he opened his mouth to yell at the man when he slammed his head into a telephone pole, sending him onto the concrete ass first. Blinking his eyes to get rid of the stars in his vision and hopefully stop the ringing in his ears, Ichigo glared at Prosus as the man looked down at him.

"Don't give me that look, I warned you to stop running."

Ichigo stood up with all the grace of a new-born fawn and growled at Prosus "You're the reason I ran into the pole in the first place!"

"No, I simply greeted you with a light hearted pun. The fact that your brain couldn't handle talking while running without forgetting how to stop is all on you." Prosus waved off Ichigo's words without the slightest hint of remorse in his voice. Ichigo restrained himself from trying to pummel the masked man as he took in a deep breath and moved to run past him when a hand grabbed onto his shoulder. "I suggest you hold your breath."

Ichigo didn't have time to react before he found his surroundings blurring past, his stomach doing flips in the fraction of a second that he stopped before he was moving again.

XxxxXxxxX

Moments later

XxxxXxxxX

Shrieker chuckled as Chad and Rukia stood in front of him, unable to move without risking Yuichi's life. "Heheh, with three leech bombs on the bird cage you'll both do what I say, because if they explode, there won't be enough of your little friend to spread on a cracker. Now, let's play a new game."

But before Shrieker could continue, a pair of figures flashed into view in between the hollow and the human/gigai pair, though upon closer inspection one of the figures was actually being held up by the other.

"Yo! I came to deliver a package to a Rukia Kuchiki: one surly, carrot-topped teenager who needs to learn not to scowl all the time." Prosus exclaimed as he pulled out a slip of paper that had a bunch of scribbles on it while Ichigo stumbled away to puke in the closest trashcan available. "Prosus Delivery Services Inc. is not responsible for any damage acquired before or after express travel. If you have a complaint, it must be submitted to me in triplicate within twenty four hours of delivery."

When nobody made a move save for Ichigo putting his head back into his trashcan to puke some more, Prosus gave an exaggerated sigh and walked over to the black haired girl before pushing the piece of paper and a pen towards her. "Sign on the bottom please."

Still stunned by…whatever was happening, Rukia grabbed the pen and wrote down her name without realizing it until after she had done it. "Thank you. Now, since it's your first time using our delivery system, you get a bonus: I'll help you guys out with the fork-tongued jackass over there."

Apparently that had been enough to knock everyone out of their shock, Shrieker included. "Hey you, don't even think of moving or the tweedy bird here goes bye-bye!"

Prosus remained quiet for a moment before moving towards a nearby group of bushes. "Hey! Didn't you hear me?! I said-"

"Were you talking about this tweedy bird? Cause I took him when you were talking to beauty and the beast over there. And I'm fairly certain he's a cockatiel." Prosus asked as he pulled Yuichi out from behind the bush and pointed at Chad and Rukia.

"Wha-what!?" Shrieker whipped his head back to see his leech bombs dead on the ground. Turning back, the winged hollow glared at the group before unfurling his wings and taking to the sky. "It seems the odds aren't in my favor today. I'll let you go for now, but you won't be so lucky next time!"

"He's running away! Ichigo!" Rukia yelled as she slipped on a red glove with a skull on it and slammed it into the carrot-haired teen's chin, forcing him out of his human body and into his shinigami form. "Go after him!"

"I'm on it!" Ichigo started towards the hollow when Prosus stuck the hand that wasn't holding Yuichi hand out in front of him. "What are you doing, he's getting away!"

"No, he isn't." The masked man said before turning his hand over and snapping his fingers. "Hado #5: Shuryūdan."

Rukia's eyes widened at Prosus' use of Kido when the area was rocked by the sound of the dozen spiritual grenades attached to the back of Shrieker's wing exploding in a chorus of destruction and pained screaming.

"Oh Gaia, I love blowing shit up." Prosus chuckled as the winged hollow plummeted to towards the ground and smashed into the concrete.

"GYAAAAAAH, MY WING! YOU BASTARD, YOU DESTROYED MY WING!" Shrieker screamed in pain as the rest of the group caught sight of the charred, tattered mess that was once his wing.

"Language Shrieker, there are children present." Prosus mock scolded the hollow as he turned and tossed Yuichi's cage to Chad. "Don't worry about us. You just get the bird to a safe area. Rukia, I suggest you go with him in case any of his little buddies make it through."

"Alright." Chad and Rukia nodded as they took off running while Prosus turned back to the snarling hollow.

"YOU! BY THE TIME I'M DONE, YOU'LL BE NOTHING BUT A SMEAR IN A CRATER!" Shrieker roared as more of his minions jumped out from his fur collar.

"Sounds like fun. I've never danced with two partners before, so I hope you forgive me if I step on your toes." Prosus gave an exaggerated bow to the hollow before turning to Ichigo. "His leech bombs don't do much individually, but they can be trouble if they cluster. If you get some on you, get up close; he won't be so tongue-happy if he's in the blast radius."

"Alright, let's get this guy!" Ichigo yelled as he charged forward, swinging through his sword and catching three of the leech bombs at once, splattering their guts and leeches all across the street.

"You idiot, those leeches are still live ammunition!" Shrieker cackled as he stuck out his tongue. "SCREEEEEE!"

Ichigo barely managed to dodge back as the leeches surrounding him flashed before exploding in a cloud of smoke. Rocketing forward the moment his feet touched the ground, Ichigo was completely unprepared when Shrieker appeared out of the cloud. Raising up his blade to block, Ichigo grunted as Shrieker's undamaged hand slammed into him and sent him skidding across the ground. The hollow's attack was short lived though, as Prosus flickered into existence next to him and delivered a kick to the side of his head, sending the hollow into the wall of the street. Landing with a crouch, the masked man back flipped out of the way as Shrieker tried to claw at his previous position. Rearing back his damaged wing, Shrieker let loose a scream as he swung it forward, only for Ichigo to charge in and cleave the limb in two as it came down. Be it from rage or pain though, Shrieker continued forward and bit down on Ichigo's shoulder.

"GAAAH! Get off!" Ichigo yelled as he brought his sword back and swung at the hollow as best as he could, carving a chunk out of hollow's stomach. As he reared back, Shrieker let lose several more leech bombs that clamped onto Ichigo.

"Ha-ha, now I've got you!" Shrieker laughed as he stuck his tongue out. "SCREE-"

SHWING-THUCK! "GWAAAH!"

Shrieker couldn't even let out a proper scream as his tongue was impaled by a crescent-shaped blade attached to a chain.

"Sorry, but I'm really starting to get annoyed by those bombs of yours. Ichigo!" Prosus yelled as he tugged his chain back, stretching Shrieker's tongue to its limits.

"Take this you bastard!" Ichigo roared as he swung his blade down, slicing clean through the hollow's tongue.

"GYYYYAAAAAAAAHHH." Shrieker screamed as he fell onto his back. "OOU CUH OFF MA HOUNGE! OOU BAHARD!"

"Aww, what's the matter Shrieker? Masked man got your tongue?" Prosus taunted as he held up his chain, the hollow's missing body part still skewered on it. "…I wonder how hollow tongue tastes when char-broiled."

Ichigo balked at the man next to him. "You're thinking of eating that?!"

"Hey, if there are people that are okay with eating a monkey's brain while it's still alive, I figure it's okay to eat a hollow's cooked tongue." Prosus retorted as he pulled the tongue off his blade and moved it behind his back, out of Ichigo's view, his hand returning empty as Shrieker got up off the ground and unleashed a guttural roar before charging forward in a blind rage.

Cursing, Ichigo leapt to the side while Prosus flipped over the berserker charge and slammed his heel into Shrieker's back, forcing the hollow to skid across the ground thanks to his own momentum. Forcing himself up, Shrieker reared back to roar again when he felt Prosus' blade hook into the top of his mouth.

"Giddy up Shrieker, giddy up!" Prosus laugh as Shrieker began to flail about in a desperate attempt to rid himself of either the hook in his mouth or the man on his back. "Yo Ichigo, I think it's time to put this guy down!"

Gripping his chain with both hands Prosus pulled hard on his makeshift reins, forcing Shrieker to rear up just as Ichigo charged forward and swung his sword down, slicing right through the hollow's mask, jumping back as sickly green light began to pour out of the opening in the mask.

"Damn, looks like my ride's over." Prosus fake-sighed as he unhooked his blade from Shrieker's mouth and jumped away just into to see the light explode upwards, forming a massive dark purple door emblazoned with a pair of giant skeletons on either side before opening to reveal a red void.

"What the hell is that?" Ichigo asked as he took a step back from the door.

"The Gates of Hell. When hollowfied souls are purified, they're pardoned of the sins they committed while they were hollows. But for those who committed sins while they were alive, there lies only an eternity in Hell." Prosus told him as a massive knife appeared from the void and impaled Shrieker, dragging him back into the crimson veil before the doors closed. When they finally shut completely, the doors crack and shattered like glass, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.

"So that's Hell. Anyway, I guess I should thank-" Ichigo fell quiet when he realized Prosus had vanished, leaving the teen alone with his thoughts.

XxxxXxxxX

Minutes later

Kyle's POV

XxxxXxxxX

I watched as Ichigo ran off to find his friends, waiting until he was completely out range before I deposited my costume into my inventory and shunpo'd back to where the fight with Shrieker took place. I frown as I took in what was around me, or rather, what wasn't around me. "No items, no money, just Exp? What, did they get dragged into Hell with Shrieker?"

I mean, I'm happy that the Exp I got managed to level me up but damn.

Still, it's probably for the best. I don't really feel like answering questions about why physical objects came out of a spiritual being. At least I still gained the experience and tore off Shrieker's tongue.

Reminding myself of my recent acquirement of the dead hollows body part, I took it out of my inventory and used Observe on it.

 **Shrieker's Tongue-Skill Item (Edible)**

 **The forked tongue of Shrieker. Let's hope it tastes better than it looks. By cooking and eating it, you can learn the Active Skill: Noise Mimicry.**

Sweet, and deceptively useful. Loss of money and other items aside, I'd say I'm pretty happy…oh who the fuck am I kidding, I'm pissed off and need to fight something. And I knew just what to do as I stuffed Shrieker's Tongue into my inventory while my other hand rose to the sky. "ID Create: Myrmidon!"

After the shockwave finished expanding, I looked around and felt a frown cross my face as I realized nothing had changed. "What the hell-"

CRI-CRACK!

Standing ram-rod straight, I glanced downwards to see white cracks appear under my feet and continue on until they had covered every inch of visible ground.

KRESSSHHH!

And the ground shattered. Now I'm just standing above a gaping void without anything to actually stand on. Joy.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" I cried out as I plummeted straight down into the darkness, tumbling uncontrollably for a few moments before the black covering my vision began to give way to a clouded grey sky. As my vision finally cleared, I managed to regain control of my tumbling, allowing me to flip myself and face the ground…

Which was about two meters away.

"SHIT!" I swore as I slammed into the ground at who-knows-how-many kilometers per hour. Yeah, that was gonna leave a mark.

"Cough, cough, guh, what the hell was that?" I grunted as I pushed myself up and found that I was standing on a mountain cliff, a stone wall to my back, with a rocky mountain road, no pun intended, on either side of me, and a good twenty meter sheer drop in front of me. "Well, Greece is mostly mountains so I guess this is fitting. Now the question is do I go up,"

I took a glance to my left, the path slanting up to show that it was heading to the summit, before turning to the right path, which slanted down. "Or down?"

Well, if anime and video games have taught me anything, it's that mountains always have interesting things at the top. Of course, the top is usually where the boss waits, and as tempting as it is to get into a fight with the boss right off the bat, there's a chance he might not even be there unless I defeat the underlings. "Down it is then."

Turning to my right, I began the long trek down the winding mountain path, pressing up against the mountain face whenever the path became more like a ledge. Admittedly, climbing a mountain was somewhat of a dream I used to have; not a dream that I would put too much effort into pursuing, but something to try if given the chance. Still, I was expecting to accomplish it when I was older with proper equipment, not seventeen while wearing a shirt, slacks, and running shoes. It's kind of funny how life deviates from the expected.

After a good hour and a half of doing nothing but walking down the spiraling mountain, I stepped off the path as it gave out to a boulder covered field of browning grass. "Finally. If that's how long it takes to climb a fake mountain, I'm a little wary to climb a real one."

Yeah, I knew that actual mountain climbing was far more difficult than simply walking down a simple path, but right now, I really didn't care. "If falling face first on to that mountain cliff is what's gonna happen every time I use this ID, I'm gonna have to find a way to run faster…I have Shunpo, WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T I JUST USE SHUNPO!?"

I would have continued my tirade had I not sensed several figures enter into my range. Concentrating on the field, it took a moment to realize that two of the 'boulders' were actually tightly packed groups of grey shields. "Observe."

 **Shield Myrmidon (12)**

 **Level 16**

 **HP: 550**

 **MP: 150**

 **STR: 16**

 **VIT: 22**

 **DEX: 8**

 **INT: 6**

 **WIS: 8**

 **LUK: 6**

 **While all Myrmidons were trained to use shields, this Myrmidon trained extensively in its use, turning them into the primary defense of the group. Their training allows them to form together to create a shell of shields that is near impregnable from the front and sides.**

"So they're walking walls with each group made up of a dozen enemies each. Good to know. Now to figure out how to-WOAH!" Twisting my upper body as fast as I could, I managed to more or less duck-and-spin out of the way of a huge wooden spear that firmly implanted itself in the stone of the mountain face behind where my head used to be. Glimpsing to the side, I saw that a new type of Myrmidon that held a spear similar to the one next to me.

Admittedly I hadn't seen what the Shield Myrmidons looked like beneath their shields, but the one standing next to what I have just now dubbed the shield-egg was wearing a dark blue-ish grey metal vest with similarly colored greaves, battle skirt, a plume-less helmet with an open mouth, and dark leather forearm protectors. "Observe."

 **Spear Myrmidon**

 **Level 17**

 **HP: 350**

 **MP: 200**

 **STR: 24**

 **VIT: 14**

 **DEX: 15**

 **INT: 8**

 **WIS: 8**

 **LUK: 1**

 **A Myrmidon trained in using throwing spears, turning them into the primary 'artillery' of the group. Using their powerful throwing arms, they hurl massive wooden spears that can pierce even stone. However, because they don't experience close range combat as often as other Myrmidons units, they can't take as much punishment.**

 **Observe Leveled up.**

 **Observe is Lv: 17 Exp: 1.50%**

"Okay, so there are multiple types of enemies in this ID. I can work with that." I muttered to myself as the Spear Myrmidon twirled the spear in his hand and pulled his arm back. I smirked as I lightly tapped my foot on the ground "Sorry, but-"

I shunpo'd into the air in front of the Spear Myrmidon's face and slammed my knee into the opening of the helmet where his mouth was. "-I don't feel like being shish kabob'd!"

Dropping to the ground I swept out my target's feet, but instead of stopping I used my momentum to throw myself into a handstand before bringing my heel down on the Myrmidon's armored stomach dropping his life bar to less than a quarter. I didn't get much time to celebrate though as I rolled out of the way of a spear from a different Spear Myrmidon followed by a leap out of the way as another one came out from one of the shield eggs and nearly clipped my leg with his own spear.

Rolling back onto my feet I winced when I put my weight on my foot, a nasty bruise starting to develop on my heel. In hindsight, sweeping and heel kicking a guy wearing metal greaves and body armor wasn't the best plan I've ever had. It was cases like this that reminded me why I like weapons just as much as kicking ass with my fists, though admittedly I haven't been doing much of the latter recently. Gonna have to rectify that before the storyline's stronger enemies start appearing, just in case.

Leaping out of the way of another spear, I called up my inventory and pulled out my chain dagger, a snap of my wrist as it finished coming out resulting in resounding CRACK like that of a whip. "Ready or not, here I come!"

Shunpo-ing near the Spear Myrmidon that nearly caught my leg, I twirled my chain over-head before swinging down, cutting his exposed shoulder and upper arm, jumping up to avoid his retaliatory spear.

Bad move.

By taking to the air, I ended up making myself a free target for the half dozen Spear Myrmidons that dove out of their respective shield-eggs in trios, spears already starting to leave their hands.

"Shit!" Scrunching up my upper body, I twist myself to the side; good enough to avoid getting skewered, not good enough to avoid them all completely, as evidenced by the pain that erupted from the outer part of my shoulder, waist, and leg. Rolling on my undamaged side, I dashed out of the way of another spear and swung my chain in a wide arc towards one trio of Spear Myrmidons, only for their nearby shield-egg to disband, rush, reform, and intercept it, showing me that the Shield Myrmidons wore basically the same uniform as their spear wielding counterparts, save that they seemed to forsake the leather forearm guards for dark grey pauldrons.

"Damn." I growled as I pulled my chain back and shunpo'd behind the other, more exposed trio, allowing me to swing and cut into the exposed backs of their knees before bringing the chain back for an overhead slash; just as the nearby shield–egg intercepted it, causing the blade to drag harmlessly across the shields. "Okay, you're starting to piss me off now!"

Pulling back my chain, I leveled a glare at the shield-egg in front of me as my chain wrapped around my forearm, freeing my hand to create a group of Shuryūdan. "I'll crack you wide open!"

Taking a running start forward, I jumped up and sent a wave of the mini-spirit bombs raining down on the shields, leveling up the skill twice in the process, the multitude of explosions engulfing the group in dozens of clouds of smoke and fire. Landing in a crouch, I watched as the clouds dissipated, revealing that the formerly tightly knit group of shield users was shattered, with several of their shields now broken or cracked.

Unwilling to let them have a breather I began to pepper them with wave after wave of Shuryūdan, dodging the projectiles of the Spear Myrmidon when need be, until finally the last of their shields crumbled away, leaving only half the group alive. I couldn't stop myself from taunting them "I hope that those shields weren't your only weapons."

As if in response to my goading them, the shield users unsheathed the swords that just now appeared at their sides. Why did I taunt them again? Oh, right…

Because it's fun.

With a guttural roar, the now de-shielded enemies rushed forward as the Spear Myrmidons lowered their spears; probably to make sure they didn't hit their comrades.

Springing forward I kicked the one that was farthest forward in the gut, forcing him to lean forward enough for me to wrap an arm around his neck before falling backwards, essentially suplex-ing the Myrmidon; and considering the crack that came from it, I probably broke the poor bastards neck in the process. Oh well.

Rolling to my feet, I blocked a slash from one of the Myrmidon, using the hooked shape of my blade to pull his sword to the side so I could deliver a cross. Right into his metal-helm covered jaw.

Not my greatest idea. Did a surprising amount of damage to him, but still not my greatest idea.

Franticly shaking my reddened knuckles as I dodged out of the way of a sword slice, I thanked Gaia that the bones in my hand didn't just shatter before using my open hand to push away a sword thrust from one of the Myrmidons before spinning around his arm and wrapping my chain around his neck, forcing him to go back to back with me or risk asphyxiation.

A smile playing on my lips as three of the remaining sword wielders went for simultaneous thrusts I spun with the unfortunate bastard at my back, causing his allies to skewer him with their own swords, dropping his life bar to zero and causing him to drop to disappear, allowing me to continue my spin as I let out my chained blade, simultaneously slicing through all three of their necks before rushing towards and flipping over them.

Upon landing though, I simply started walking forward; towards the last of the small group of enemies. I didn't even bother glancing back as the three Myrmidons turned and stabbed at my back, a quick snap of my fingers causing the Shuryūdan I placed on the backs of their necks finishing them off before their swords could touch me.

"Aww, what's the matter? Not used to seeing your buddies blown up?" I asked the remaining Myrmidon with mock concern when I saw that he hesitated to attack me. So it turns out ID creations CAN feel fear. I mean, I suspected that might be the case because of how the Ghosts reacted when I pressured them with my Reiatsu, but it's nice to have confirmation. Speaking of pressure…

I felt a sadistic smirk cross my face while I unleashed my full Reiatsu on the Myrmidon, letting my more sadistic side out to play as the man in front of me began to shake before deciding to end it. "Run."

One simple word, and the once brave Myrmidon turned tail and run back towards the rest of his allies;

Managing to get all of five meters before one of the Spear Myrmidon chucked one of their namesakes right through his skull before retreating behind the other shield-egg, his helmet amounting to little more than a tinfoil hat against the force of the projectile. Apparently even fake myrmidons don't forgive those who flee from battle.

Feeling my energy beginning to run low, I clenched my fist as my Shunko cloak activated. "Sorry guys, I'd love to stay and play with you some more, but I'm feeling a little drained right now, so I'm gonna have to leave you now."

With a grin on my face, I took aim at the shield-egg in front of me.

"Shunko!" Befitting my technique, I cried out its name as I thrust my fist forward, the black-and-white inferno swallowing the group like a tidal wave of fire.

As the last traces of fire subsided I fell to one knee, the strain of the day finally catching up to me. Letting myself rest for a while, I called up my stats to see a bit more detail about how I was doing.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Ghost Buster**

 **Level: 22 Exp: 38000/800000**

 **HP: 450/850**

 **MP: 10/550**

 **RP: 860/1720**

 **STR: 29**

 **VIT: 34**

 **DEX: 46**

 **INT: 22**

 **WIS: 22**

 **LUK: 19**

 **Points: 15**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster), Yoruichi's Apprentice (Gain +2 additional points to all stats per level gained while under Yoruichi's Apprenticeship, Hakudo Exp gain +50%, Shunko Exp gain +50%, Shunpo Exp gain +75%)**

Boo-yeah baby! Now those are some stats.

Getting back up, I set about collecting the item drops from the Myrmidons, having already placed the money into my inventory which now read a healthy 235000 Yen. After a few minutes, I managed to collect all the items into a single pile and used Observe.

 **Myrmidon Shield Shard-Crafting Item (18)**

 **A piece of a broken shield, it would be best to either use them in craft or sell them in bulk, cause they ain't got many other uses.**

 **Myrmidon Armor Piece-Crafting Item (22)**

 **Once part of a set of armor, this broken piece is best used to create a new set of armor.**

 **Metal Tipped Spear-Weapon (2)**

 **The spear was one of mankind's earliest weapons, capable of hunting animals both big and small. This one has a metal tip in order to increase its lethality. Requires 18 STR to wield. Base Damage: 24**

Not bad for a day's work, not bad at all.

After putting all the items into my inventory, I raised my hand to the sky and was about to cast ID Escape when a new box appeared in front of me.

 **Mini-Boss Battle requirements met. Would you like to accept the challenge? Y/N**

 **Note that even if you decline you will have the choice to re-fulfill conditions or skip straight to the Mini-Boss Battle.**

This ID has a mini-boss? Cool. Still, as tempting as it is, I'm gonna have to decline for now. Ururu and Jinta are probably worried about me.

Hitting the 'N', I raised my hand to the sky and cast ID Escape, my surroundings cracking like glass before shattering to reveal the street I was once in, the early evening sun beginning its decent. "I hope I haven't missed dinner."

As I began the trek home, I couldn't help but feel a bit giddy. Sure I was tired, but I was honestly enjoying myself; nothing like a fight to get the blood flowing. Smiling to myself, I shunpo'd onto the roof of one of the nearby buildings and began the trip back to Urahara's, looking forward to whatever tomorrow brings.

AN: And that's the end of Chapter 12. Sorry about the long wait, my grandpa died in November and I just didn't feel the desire to write. That's not say I'm going to stop writing, I still am, I just didn't really feel the desire for a while. But, in the spirit of the holidays, I forced myself to work on this chapter just so I could release it on Christmas Eve. Why not Christmas Day? Cause I won't have access to a computer after today, at least for a while.

P.S. The scene where Kyle franticly shakes his knuckles after hitting the Myrmidon is a shout out to the old Jackie Chan Adventures intro, one of my favorite intros and shows of all time.

P.S.S. Fun fact: IRL, using a single step of his current Shunpo would cause Kyle to experience approximately 19,120 Gs, or Earth's gravity X 19,120, which is 187567.2m/s².

To put that into perspective, the acceleration due to gravity on the sun, that giant ball of flaming gas that our planet revolves around, is approximately 273.7m/s².

In that respect, Ichigo throwing up seems kind of justified, doesn't it?


	13. Chapter 13

_Last time on A New Player: Ichigo, with the help of Prosus, defeats Shrieker and saves Yuichi, who's soul is trapped in the body of a cockatiel. After the battle, Kyle trains in the Myrmidon ID for the first time and finds that it has a Mini-Boss before starting his journey back to Urahara's. Meanwhile, the residents of the Urahara shop discuss Kyle's abilities, unaware of the eavesdropper right under their noses._

A New Player

Chapter 13

"Hey, I'm back." I called out as I opened the door to Urahara's store, the faint smell of cold food hitting my nose.

"Welcome back, Ururu was kind enough to save you some foo-" Yoruichi stopped mid-sentence as I walked into the back room of the shop. Not a good sign. "Kyle."

"Yes?"

"You used Shunko." Oh shit, I didn't change my shirt! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"…I don't suppose you would believe me if I said my shirt got snagged on a low hanging branch while I was using Shunpo, would you?" From the deadpan look she's giving me, I doubt it. "Didn't think so."

I gulped as she reached behind her, or I guess in front of her since she had been talking to me from over her shoulder, and pulled out that Gaia-be-damned shock collar...okay I know how I pull stuff out from nowhere, how the hell is she doing it? She isn't wearing her jacket, and she's wearing a skin tight bodysuit, or whatever the hell it's called. "Is it wrong of me to ask if there is any way for me to not wear that?"

And there's the deadpan look again.

XxxxXxxxX

30 shock filled minutes later

Underground Training Room

XxxxXxxxX

 **Spiritual Sense Leveled up.**

 **Spiritual Sense is Lv: 13 Exp: 36.00%**

 **Range of Spiritual Sense is now: 65 meters**

I glared at the window in front of me as laid on my stomach, my body occasionally convulsing from the remnants of the electric shocks that I had been experiencing for the past half hour. All for three levels on Spiritual Sense and a single point to my VIT. All because I couldn't stop myself from getting into a fight. Still, it's not like it could realistically get worse.

"Alright Kyle, seeing as how you seem to be getting the hang of this, I'm going to be increasing the intensity of the shocks. Now get moving, you still have another half hour to go." Oh come on! I didn't even say it, I just thought it, that shouldn't count! ZAP! ...Damn it.

I muttered a few curses before pushing myself up off the ground, making sure to rein in my spiritual pressure as I did before I set off running around the underground training room. You would think after all these damn shocks I would have gotten some kind of new status perk or something.

Still, this gave me some time to think.

My memory is a little fuzzy about what happened after Shrieker appeared in the show and books. I think it was either Kon or some weird guy with a cane, or was it Uryu's first relevant appearance?

Okay, let's think this through. I know that shortly after Uryu's appearance, Soul Society came to arrest Rukia, so it isn't that one. And I think that Rukia bought Kon in order to give Ichigo the option of becoming a Soul Reaper even if she wasn't around so they wouldn't have a repeat of what happened with Shrieker…huh, I thought I was gonna have a big mental debate about what came next, but that was disappointingly easy. Oh well.

"Come on Kyle, pick up the pace or it will be another half-hour!" I felt myself speed up at the sound of Yoruichi's voice, losing control of my energy for a split second.

ZAP! "YOWCH!"

Gritting my teeth as I suppressed my energy, I decided that now was as good a time as any to ask a question that had be bugging me recently. "Hey, Yoruichi?"

"Hm?"

"Why is Shunko so dangerous? I mean, I learned it when I was really low level and other then the whole backfire thing it doesn't seem that bad. Why is it such a big deal?"

Yoruichi was silent for a while before sighing. "In all honesty, despite being hailed as the pinnacle of Kido and Hakuda combination, Shunko is actually a very basic technique. All it really involves is pulling your Reiryoku to act as a full body shield. The problem comes with control."

I felt my eyebrow raise as Yoruichi Shunpo'd next to me and matched my pace. "What do you mean? I controlled it just fine."

"What I mean is that to use Shunko, you are constantly releasing your Reiryoku from inside your body. The problem is that Reiryoku behaves more or less like compressed gas; once it has been released, it doesn't want to stop being released. With most spiritual techniques, you extract a select portion of your Reiryoku and that's it, like partially opening up cap of a shaken up pop bottle but still leaving it mostly sealed up so it can easily be resealed, but with Shunko it's like you ripped the entire cap of in one motion, letting all the built up pressure shoot out in one continuous burst, making it a great deal harder to seal it back up. And this isn't even taking into account the physical aspect of Shunko."

"You mean like a person's body being capable of handling the strain of using it?"

Yoruichi nodded. "That's where I admit to being envious of your powers. It normally takes years of training for the body to become strong enough to handle the strain of using Shunko, and those that have a naturally tough body tend to have a large amount of Reiryoku, so they need to train themselves mentally to have the control to use it. Your powers subvert both by simply giving you a naturally tough body while also having a normal amount of Reiryoku as well as mental strength despite having subpar control."

Yoruichi looked towards me this time, a serious expression now etched across her face. "What I'm trying to say is, you're lucky. If you had just a little more Reiryoku or had a little less control, your Reiryoku would have exploded from the inside out and left you as nothing more than a bloody smear."

I gulped as she Shunpo'd out of sight. I would have laughed at the irony of being called 'lucky' despite LUK being my lowest stat if I my mind wasn't too busy thinking up images of me swelling up and popping like blood filled balloon.

For the next few minutes, the only sounds within the training room were my footsteps and my own breathing until Yoruichi Shunpo'd in front of me. "Alright, I suppose that's enough shocking you for now."

I didn't bother stopping the sigh of relief that escaped my mouth as Yoruichi unlocked the collar around my neck. "Thanks, now I can get some slee-"

Gasping as the air was forced out of me from Yoruichi's knee ramming into my stomach, I felt my feet leave the ground before I crashed into a boulder.

"I suggest you be a bit more aware Kyle, an attack can come from anywhere, especially when you let your guard down. Consider this both punishment, and a test." I tried to reply, but all that came out was a cough and a wheeze. Pushing myself up, I shifted into a shaky fight stance and turned to Yoruichi, a challenge evident in her smirk. "Try not to die."

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Test of Punishment**

 **Objectives:**

 **Survive**

 **Success: 15000 Exp**

 **Failure: 500 Exp (Provided you don't die)**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **You're gonna have you hands full as it is. Oh, and block your head.**

Wha-

No sooner did I read/think that did I have to bring up my hand to try and block Yoruichi's head kick. Keyword being 'try', because I was sent cartwheeling across the ground while the inside of my head rang like a damn gong. Doing my best to roll back up, I shot forward the moment my balance was restored and jabbed towards Yoruichi's face, followed by a cross-hook-cross combination and a kick to the mid-section.

Every punch was swatted away with only the tips of her index and middle fingers, the kick evaded by a simple step back before she stepped forward and swept my back leg off the ground before my own kick was even finished. Twisting mid-fall, I kicked towards her liver just before I hit the ground only for her to either sway back or suck in her gut. Actually I doubt it was the latter, cause she doesn't really have anything to suck in. With her figure, the only thing in that area is a smooth, finely toned stomach…middle of a fight or not, I have no problems admitting the woman in front of me is hot as hell.

I blinked to clear the stars from my eyes as my head hit the ground just in time for Yoruichi to appear at the top of my vision, a leg straight up in the air. Rolling to the side and hopping off the ground, I watched her heel turn the ground where I had previously been into a crater at least half a meter deep before turning to Yoruichi.

"Are you trying to kill me or something!?"

"Kill? Of course not." She almost looked offended before she smirked. "Just trying to maim you a little."

I couldn't help but smirk right back. Does doing that make me suicidal, or masochistic? Or maybe insane, that could be it too. "Well, if that's all you're gonna do…"

Rushing forward, I faked a punch before I slid between her legs, dropping a Shuryūdan as I passed under her while tossing one behind her, activating both the moment she turned, enveloping her in a pair of simultaneous explosions. Springing to my feet I looked back to see that I had done…nothing. Save for a few tears in her bodysuit-thing and a few scratches on her cheek, there wasn't even a sign she had just been right next to the blasts. Her HP didn't even budge! "Well, that's a tad emasculating. Did you even flinch?"

"Just a little shudder. Sorry, but you'll need to work a little harder to get something out of me." Yoruichi purred before she re-introduced her knee into my stomach before I could reply, sending me up into the air. Forcing my eyes open as they watered, I was greeted by the sight of the training room ceiling when Yoruichi appeared above me while spinning sideways before slamming her shin into my stomach, sending me straight down into the ground. By this point the adrenaline, in conjunction with what was likely a concussion, had dulled my sense of pain enough that it only somewhat hurt as whatever ribs had previously been unbroken finally reached their limit. Considering I also landed on my back, I'm willing to bet I cracked a few of the bones in my spine and simply can't feel them…that's actually not the comforting thought I hoped it to be.

Rolling out of the way as Yoruichi dived out of the sky and turned my previous location into another crater, I tried to Shunpo backwards to get some distance when I felt her grab the back of my head before I had even begun moving, slamming my face into the ground hard enough to leave an imprint.

Propping myself up on my elbow as I shook my vision free of stars, I twisted my nose back into position before I felt around the inside of my mouth, and lo and behold I spat out a blood soaked tooth. In all honesty, I'm surprised how comparatively little it hurt.

Ah, the joys of adrenaline and concussions.

Hearing her cough, I looked up at Yoruichi and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Ow."

I tried to push myself to my feet as I heard her give a shallow chuckle, but just as I got to my knees I got slammed right back down with the weight of her Reiatsu.

"Come on now, don't tell me this is all you've got?" Gaia be damned, she's increasing the pressure. I can barely manage to lift my head towards her, which judging by her face is a surprise. Fuck, I can feel my bones creaking, the thundering of my heartbeat in my ears, the fire burning in my veins! It feels…it feels…

Amazing.

And just like that, the pressure was gone, and the muscles in my neck gave out as my face hit dirt. "Again, ow."

"Well, I suppose that was a good enough display. As the last piece of your punishment, the training room is gonna be closed tomorrow."

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Test of Punishment**

 **Objectives:**

 **Survive**

 **Success: 15000 Exp**

 **Failure: 500 Exp (Provided you don't die)**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **Aren't you glad you blocked?**

 **Quest Complete!**

…Fuck you, Gaia.

XxxxXxxxX

The next morning

Front of the store

XxxxXxxxX

Letting out a small yawn while I sat cross legged in front of the store, I switched between lazily watching Jinta pretend to play baseball instead of doing his chores and the writing on the paper in front of me. With no deliveries to do and Yoruichi locking up the training room for the day, I couldn't do much else save for look after the kids…oh god, I sound like some kind of housewife.

Still, last night wasn't all bad. My Spiritual Sense was now level 15, and with that came a range of 75 meters and the ability get more in-depth read on a person's individual Reiatsu. Makes identifying people a bit easier.

The impromptu ass-kicking she gave me afterwards? Well, at least I found out my Gamer's Body remakes lost teeth.

I looked towards the two children in front of me. Jinta gave off the feeling that reminded me of a camp fire. Simple, easily lit, burns a good while, but can get out of control without much difficulty. Ururu on the other hand gave off the feeling of some kind of soft velvet or cotton, but with underlying feeling of metallic, almost robotic coldness. Like a sword wrapped in a few too many layers of loosely wrapped fur.

But the most important thing last night taught me? I had work to do. Was comparing my abilities to a hundred plus years old ex-super assassin/captain that could pass for a foreign supermodel setting the bar a little high? Maybe. Was that gonna stop me? Nope.

I know a lot of RPGs with a Class system had you get to a certain level or point in the story before you chose a more specialized class, but those games also had time for you to make said decision. I didn't have time, so looks like I have to choose my special class now. Or more specifically, select a handful of techniques to train to the absolute limit and put a bit more care into my stats.

But what kind of class am I? I know in the normal trio I'm a rogue, but what kind am I specifically? Assassin? Trapper? Ninja? Oh whatever, I'll figure it out after I've chosen the techniques. Jinta and Ururu, I already knew what kind of classes they were: Berserker and Artillery. Actually, I really should help with their training some more. I remember they got really beat up by one of Grimmjow's Fracción, and at the time I only felt a little sympathy because I wasn't really close to the characters, but now that I actually know them? Like hell I'll let that happen.

I turned my attention back to the paper in front of me. On one side was each letter of the alphabet, one by one in descending order, while the other side was blank save for a few pairs of letters, with lines connecting the pairs to a some of the letters.

This was my plan for the Sternritter and Schutzstaffel, or whatever the hell Yhwach called the upper levels of his army. I wasn't worried about Aizen and his Arrancar, not very much anyways, I knew that they lost eventually, but Gaia plucked me from my world right in the middle of the 'Thousand-year Blood War' arc so I'm in the dark about a few of the Sternritters' abilities. I returned to my paper and tried to solve a few more letters.

'A'- The Almighty, Yhwach and Uryu's letter, though only Yhwach has the Almighty as far as I can remember. It's also broken as all fuck. I mean seriously, borderline Omni-Science, Invulnerability to any attacks he understands, the ability to see into the future, the ability to give his subordinates super forms, and Gaia knows what else it could do that wasn't revealed before I landed here! It makes the Sharingan from Naruto look as useless as the eyes of a blind man, pun not intended.

'B'- I'm not even sure who has this letter, let alone what it does!

'C'- I think one of Yhwach's Schutzstaffel had this one but I can't remember who or what it does.

'D'- The Death Dealer, or something like that. The guy who used it said something about toxicity or poison, right? Better learn how to make poison cures, just in case. I'll leave him to either one of the scientist characters, like Mayuri or Urahara, or a doctor like Unohana…oh wait, she got killed by Kenpachi so he could learn his Shikai. Well, at least she succeeded.

'E'- The Explode. This one I know; used by Bambietta Basterbine, anything she threw Reiryoku into became a bomb. I know she lost to Captain Komamura after he did something that made him turn into a human which affected his Bankai to make it immune to her abilities.

'F'- The Fear. I think it was used by Ass Something-or-other and caused people to witness their greatest fears. I think Rukia killed him with her Bankai with some help from Byakuya. I think this is also the guy that stole Byakuya's Bankai the first time they fought…actually, I'm pretty sure about it cause that was when Byakuya thought he saw zombie Rukia.

'G'- The Glutton…I think. One of the female Sternritter had it and basically just ate everything.

Of course, the paper didn't say any of this, these were just my mental notes about each letter.

I found myself pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Jinta give a particularly loud shout.

"Now up to bat, Jinta Hanakari! Here comes the wind up, and the pitch, and-" Jinta shouted as he tossed the baseball in his hand into the air and pulled his broom back.

"And it's a strike, right into the catcher's mitt!" I yelled out just as he was about to swing, throwing him off balance and right into the ground, the ball bopping him on the head when it came down.

"What the hell, Big Bro!? I was totally gonna hit a homerun that time!" Yeah, just like the thirty other times you swung and missed. But I wasn't gonna say that. Not until he hit fifty swings anyway.

"Maybe, but if you don't stop playing around Tessai isn't going to be happy."

"He's right Jinta. We're going to get in trouble again if we don't get back to work." Ururu told Jinta before he sprang up and pointed his broom at her.

"Shut up Ururu, I'm not scared of Tessai!"

"Really?" I smirked as Jinta turned his broom on me.

"Yes really! I'm not afraid of anythi-"

"He's right behind you."

I chuckled a bit as Jinta spun around with a yelp, only to turn back and glare at me, sucking in air to yell.

Hm?

I lifted my head up slightly as someone's Reiatsu pinged on my internal spiritual radar, the Reiatsu itself giving off a chilly sensation, like that of the frosty night air. I didn't need to guess who it belonged to.

Apparently Jinta and Ururu noticed as they looked in same direction as I was, waiting for a minute before watching as Rukia Kuchiki walked around the corner and faced the shop.

Rukia glanced at the two kids in front of her before casting a cautious look my way, looking me up and down before giving a small smile. "Hello. I don't believe we've met before. My name is Rukia Kuchiki, and you would be?"

"Kyle Wilson. Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kuchiki." I said as I gave what I hoped was my most charming smile. If the pleasant one I was given in return said anything, it seems that I pulled it off. Or she was just being nice.

"The pleasure is mine. So, are you a new employee?"

"Actually I've been here a while. I'm just usually out making deliveries around town. Sadly, there aren't any today, or at least not yet, so I'm stuck on supervision."

"I see. Would you happen to know if the manager's in?"

I nodded my head to her. "Yeah, he's here. Come on in."

Rukia looked surprised as I turned and beckoned her towards the door. "You're not going to ask why I'm here?"

"Don't need to for two reasons. One, you only asked ME if I was new, showing you're already familiar with who Ururu and Jinta are, and you specifically asked for the manager instead of asking if we were open, meaning you had some kind of appointment or emergency." And I have knowledge of the future, but I can't tell you that. I cast a glance over my shoulder. "Did I get all that right?"

Rukia held her surprise for a moment before recomposing herself. "Yes, you did."

I smiled back as reached the door and slid it open, giving a bow as I turned to the de-powered Soul Reaper. "Ladies first."

"My, what a gentleman." Rukia politely smiled as she passed through the door, followed by Ururu and Jinta.

"Only when I'm try to drum up business. Or screw with people." I chuckled the last bit under my breath as I followed them in and closed the door behind me, Tessai stopping in the middle of the store at our appearance, his arms full of merchandise.

"What are you doing Kyle? It's too early to open the store." Tessai looked like he wanted to say more, but stopped at the sight of Rukia. Putting the boxes down, he turned to her. "Just give me a minute, I'll check to see if the boss is in."

"Don't bother, I'm already up for once." Urahara said with a yawn as he walked out from the backroom, stepping into his sandals as he walked towards us. "Good morning Tessai, Jinta, Ururu, Kyle. Welcome back to my shop, Ms. Kuchiki."

Laying a hand on his hat, he looked up from the ground and towards the black haired girl. "Your timing couldn't be better. I just got a new shipment in the other day. How can I help you this afternoon?"

XxxxXxxxX

Five minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"Okay, one Kikanshinki. What grade?" Urahara asked as he typed away on the calculator in his hand.

"The cheapest you have." Rukia answered as she waited with her arms crossed; Ururu, Jinta, and I standing off to the side as we watched the two of the talk.

"Alright, and sixty pieces of Somafixer." Urahara stopped his typing for a moment before looking towards Rukia. "I know it's not really my business, but you do know too much of that stuff can be toxic, right? If you over-synchronize with your Gigai, it won't be pleasant when you leave it."

"I know that, but lately my connection with it has grown pretty weak." Rukia clenched her fist as if to emphasize her point. "It's getting difficult to move in this body."

"Want me to check it out for you? I'll cut you a good deal, and it will be a good learning experience!" Urahara gave an eccentrically perverse but fake smile to the girl.

"Boss! She's too young to learn about that!" I mock gasped before Rukia could retort, causing her to wheel around on me.

"Wha-"

"Why, I have no idea what you mean Mr. Wilson. I was offering some assistance. She is at that age you know, where she's starts noticing changes, so she has to learn some time." Rukia's head snapped back towards Urahara, her face now turning red.

"Excuse m-"

"I know, but you can't phrase it like that! People will misunderstand and I'd rather not have to bail you out of jail!" Cue the turn around and further reddening of the face.

"My gosh, you're right!" Urahara joined in my mock gasping as Rukia reached her boiling point.

"I AM NOT A CHILD!" she yelled as both me and Urahara turned to her with false confusion.

"Who said anything about you?" Urahara asked, his mouth hidden behind his calculator.

"Yeah, we were talking about Ururu; you know, the young girl standing right next to me?" I motioned towards said girl, who was moving her head between me, Rukia, and Urahara in tandem with Jinta, a look of confusion adorning their faces.

Rukia sputtered a bit at our routine before taking a deep breath and calming herself down. "If you two are finished, would you mind telling me about the special order I asked for?"

Urahara let out one last chuckle before answering her "Yeah it's here. Hey Ururu, would you mind getting it for me?"

"Oh, sure!" Ururu replied before she handed her broom off to me and ran into the storage.

"Just look for the box labeled 'New Item'." Urahara yelled after her as she disappeared into the room. A few minutes later, Ururu came back with something wrapped in cloth and handed it to Rukia. Now that I think about it, I could prevent all the confusion and chaos that Kon brought about by simply asking if Ururu grabbed the right package…

Nah, seeing Ichigo suffer is too much fun.

"So this is the only one you could get then?" Rukia asked as she turned her head to Urahara, who scratched the back of his head before answering.

"Oh please, give me a break. That's the second most popular one on the market. Wasn't all that easy to come by. Now look," Rukia glanced up with a look of mild confusion. "Just go easy. You can't fake it forever, alright?"

"Yes, I know that." Rukia told him before wrapping whatever was in there back up and heading towards the door. "Thank you for getting this by the way. I am grateful."

"No problem, Ms. Kuchiki. Come back whenever you need to." Urahara waved at her as she went to close the door behind her before stopping and looking at me.

"Hey, you said you do the deliveries right? So you get around town a lot."

I felt my eyebrow raise a small bit "Yeah. Why, you need some help?"

"No, I was just wondering if you've seen anything…weird happening lately." Oh, this is gonna be fun.

"Ms. Kuchiki, with all due respect, asking if 'anything weird is happening?' in this town is the same as asking 'How was your day?'." I told her with what I hoped was an understanding smile.

Rukia let out a sigh of disappointment "You're right, I should have figured out that this town wasn't normal the moment I arrived. Still, if you see anything weird even for this town, would you mind telling me?"

I nodded to her "As long as the boss is okay with it, sure."

"Thank you." She gave a small bow before closing the door. She didn't even realize I never answered her question. At least, I don't think she did.

"Well, now that that is settled," I turned my head to Urahara as he held out a small box; no way he didn't realize that I intentionally dodged her question. It's just a matter of whether or not he's going to call me out. "A new order came in; the front of Karakura Hospital."

Guess not. I grabbed the box and placed it into my Inventory as he spoke again.

"Do it in half an hour, and I might even re-open the training room."

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **30 Minutes Or Less**

 **Objectives:**

 **Deliver the package to the recipient**

 **Return to the shop**

 **Success: 3000 Exp**

 **Failure: 300 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

( **Informed Objective) Finish the quest in less than 30 minutes**

 **1000 Exp added per bonus completed + Training Room unlocked**

"Good bye! Good luck! Jinta keep practicing and Ururu keep being good, I will see you all in half an hour!" I was out the door and Shunpo-ing before I even finished speaking. Truth be told I'm not entirely sure they heard the last few parts…

Wait a minute.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

Urahara Shop

XxxxXxxxX

"So boss, what did you-" Jinta went to speak when Urahara held his finger up. A moment later, the door to the shop opened and a clearly irritated Kyle stomped up to Urahara and held his hand towards him.

"Don't know the address?" Kyle shook his head at Urahara's question.

"Figured I would have it?" Now a nod.

"Am I the kindest, most generous employer in the world?" With visible strain on his part, Kyle gave another nod before Urahara handed him a piece of paper. Turning on his heel, Kyle stomped out of the shop and Shunpo'd away, leaving the door wide open.

"So, have you found anything out?" Urahara asked as Kyle's energy moved far enough away that he could speak to the other residents of the shop.

"Not really, I haven't had much of a chance to get him talking without sounding weird." Jinta answered, Ururu nodding her head in agreement. Honestly, Urahara didn't like the thought of using the two children to spy on Kyle, but they were the only ones he seemed to trust.

Kyle's excuse as to why he sought the shop keeper out was pathetically flimsy at best, and Urahara suspected the boy knew that to, and was practically waiting for the subject to be brought to light. He had only been so willing to give information on Soul Society because he needed to gauge how much Kyle already knew. And from what he gathered, there wasn't a single thing he had told the teen that he hadn't already known.

"Hey boss? Do we really have to do this?" Jinta pulled Urahara out of his musings. Normally the red head wouldn't question Urahara's orders, but even he wasn't exactly gung-ho about spying on the teen. Kyle seemed like a nice enough guy, the morning hits to the head aside, and even if Jinta wasn't as quick to put faith in him as Ururu was, he couldn't help but feel a bit of respect for the older boy after the three of them had killed that big zombie inside his dungeon.

"Mm Hm, this…doesn't feel right." Ururu agreed with Jinta, the mere fact that she was voicing her displeasure at all showing how much she really didn't like what Urahara was telling them to do. She liked Kyle, and even if she didn't like him, the thought of faking feelings just felt so wrong to her.

"I know you two don't like this, but we need to make sure he isn't a threat. If it turns out that he's a friend, then you won't have to do this anymore." Urahara smiled at the two as he reached down and patted them on their heads. Truthfully, he didn't like this either, but there is no telling what Kyle would do if he tried to pressure information out of him, so he had to really on his young wards. "Just learn what you can, okay?"

The two children looked unsure but nodded their heads nonetheless. "Good. Now get going, you still have chores."

After the two left, Urahara turned to Tessai. "Tessai, do you think you could eliminate every trace of your existence from this world?"

Tessai raised an eyebrow. "You mean go into hiding? I suppose I could fake death fairly convince-"

"No, I mean make it so that you never existed in the first place."

The taller man stared at the former Squad Twelve Captain for a moment. "That's impossible. No one can simply 'appear' in this day and age; even new born babies in third world countries are accounted for in some shape or form. You would have to be hidden before you were even born, and even then it would be near impossible."

"Well it seems that our new employee has done just that. From what I've gathered, and I have gathered a great deal in this past month, the Kyle Wilson we know didn't not exist up until the point he appeared in Karakura Town. No birth record, no known education, I even took some of his blood while he slept and called in a few favors from overseas; Nobody in the world has a natural connection his genetic code."

A profound silence echoed through the shop for several moments before it was broken by the larger man. "But that's not possible. Even our Gigai have a biological connection to other people…wait, you said nobody has a 'Natural' connection to him. Does that mean there are people with an unnatural connection?"

"Of a sort. I don't have any solid evidence, but I have two reasonable theories. The first is that he is like Nemu Kurotsuchi: an artificially created being."

"With all due respect Boss, but while I can see that being possible with a spiritually based being, a living being with both functional Mana and Reiryoku has never been artificially created before."

"Not quite. There was one group who could do it." Urahara replied as silence be fell the room once again. The store owner knew that this was a touchy subject for any of the upper-ranked Shinigami who had been present all those years ago, but it was still worth consideration.

"Yes, but both they and their secrets were destroyed centuries ago." Tessai's answered as calmly as possible, refusing to let the snarl and disgust in the back of his throat seep out any more than it already did. "And if they still existed they wouldn't bother trying to send out spies. They're too arrogant for those kinds of tactics."

"Perhaps they were back then, but times have changed. Still, I have more faith in my other theory but I needed to inform you just in case it's true." Urahara glanced up and looked Tessai in the eyes. "Calm down, your Reiatsu is starting to leak."

Sucking in a deep breath, steam shot out of Tessai's nose as he suppressed his energy. "And your other theory?"

"He's a Quincy survivor like the Ishida family; one that has been hidden for most his life. When I was part of the Onmitsukidō, I read several documents that mentioned that at the height of their power, a select few Quincy were using 'Unknown and Unusual abilities' alongside frequent mention of a poem called the 'Kaiser Gesang' that apparently prophesied the return of the King of the Quincy, though the full song wasn't written in the reports. All I managed to gather about it is that the time of the supposed 'Return' is near or maybe even right now. It may be a coincidence, but the fact that Kyle appeared so close to the appointed time is just too suspicious to let slide."

"That would explain how he knew about Soul Society and it might explain his powers. But he displays neither the attitude nor the fighting style of the Quincy. You saw it yourself, he fights up close with the reckless abandon of a wild beast rather than from afar with a bow and the cold efficiency of a computer."

"I know, that's why it is only a theory. Still, it's the best I can think of given my limited information. Though I'm not sure what worries me more; that one of my theories is right, or that they could both be wrong."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You know Tessai, I think you may have spoken more in the last five minutes then in the past year." As Tessai simply snorted out steam out of his nose as his friend chuckled, neither were aware of a pair of slit eyes observing them from underneath a shelf before slinking away.

"Well, I'm going to take stock. Make sure to keep an eye on the kids." Urahara told larger man as he walked into the back room and began taking mental stock of his merchandise until his eyes landed on an open box that read 'Defective Goods'.

"Oh man."

XxxxXxxxX

Twenty minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"Hey everybody, I'm baa-and what's going on?" Kyle asked as he walked into the store to see Jinta pulling on Ururu's bangs.

"It seems that Ururu accidently gave Ms. Kuchiki the wrong package." Urahara told the teen as he waved away the Quest Complete window before pulling the two kids apart.

"Shit. How bad was the mix up?"

"Bad. This wasn't just an ordinary Gikongan, it was a Mod-Soul." Tessai answered as Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you told me those had all been destroyed. How did you…you know what? I don't want to know. So what do we do?"

"We go after him. There's no telling what he'll do if we just let him loose out there." Urahara turned and walked into the back of the store. "Everyone get ready; we have merchandise to collect."

As the remainder of the group dispersed Kyle turned to a teary eyed Ururu. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"It was my fault that Ms. Kuchiki got the wrong item, and now because of me a lot of people could be hurt. Mr. Kisuke is going to be so mad at me." Ururu was on the verge of bursting into tears.

She owed her life to Mr. Kisuke. When her parents abandoned her because of her powers, Mr. Kisuke had found her and given her a home, a roof over her head, food in her belly, and most of all people she now considered her family. But now, she might have ruined it. What if Mr. Kisuke left her like her parents did? She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay and play with Jinta and eat Tessai's food and work in the store and-

Ururu's inner panic attack was cut short as Kyle patted her on her head. "It's okay Ururu. So you made a mistake, we all do it. And you've known Urahara a lot longer than I have, so if he can forgive me screwing up, he can forgive you."

Smiling as he knelt down, Kyle looked her in the eyes. "Tell you what: I'll pick you and Jinta up a treat on our way back to cheer you up. But for now, dry your tears. Urahara won't be mad at you, he'll understand it was an accident. If you want, I'll come with you when you talk to him, okay?"

Ururu nodded as she wiped her tears from her arm before stepping forward and hugging the older boy. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Kyle replied as he returned the hug. "Now come on, we have some merchandise to collect."

As Kyle stood and turned, he missed the flash of regret in Ururu's eyes as she followed after him.

XxxxXxxxX

Thirty minutes later

Karakura Middle School Rooftop

XxxxXxxxX

Ichigo leaned against the railing overlooking the schoolyard as he listened to the mod-soul inhabiting his body talk about its history, telling him about how it refused to kill a living thing.

"I was alone for what seemed like years. I had quite a while to think about how things should be. And you know what I feel?" The mod soul turned Ichigo's body to face himself, a mixture of anger and conviction in its voice. "I decided that no one has the right to take someone's life away. I exist and I should have the right to live my life for as long as I want to!"

The mod-soul turned away from Ichigo and peered down at the courtyard below, the grip it had on the rail visibly tightening. "Like humans I deserve that. So I refuse to take a life. That's the reason why I will never kill any living creature."

Ichigo remained silent as the mod-soul finished its story, the soft breeze rustling his hair.

"Well, look who we have."

The two Ichigos twisted their heads around at the sound of an older man's voice to find Urahara walking up to them, his cane leaning against his shoulder and the rest of the occupants of the Urahara Shop behind him. "So finally we find you. And what a picture, you're all beat up and worn out. All that trouble for nothing."

As he finished talking, Urahara raised his can and pointed it at the mod-soul inhabited Ichigo's head before thrusting it forward, pushing it right through its head like it was made of air, the Gikongan that had been the mod-soul sailing out the back of the skull with the end of the cane before being caught by Kyle.

"Wow, all this trouble for such a little pill." The brown haired teen chuckled while he tossed said pill back to Urahara, not even acknowledging Ichigo's falling body as it landed with a soft thud on to the concrete.

"As they say, big things come in small packages. We're done here, let's go home." Urahara replied as caught the small orb and began tossing it up and down in his hand.

"What?! Come on, I came here for a real fight and that's all I get?" Jinta complained as Urahara and Kyle turned towards him.

"Don't worry Jinta, I've decided it's time I took your training more seriously, so you'll get your fight and more when we get home." Kyle replied as he walked next to the red head with his hands in his pocket.

"Hey, hold it!" Ichigo exclaimed as he rushed up behind Urahara. "What are you gonna do with that mod-soul now?"

The shop owner turned his head to look at the teen. "No choice; I've gotta destroy him."

Ichigo gasped at Urahara's reply. "You can see me! How can that be? Just who are you guys anyway?"

"What, you didn't think you were the only person in the world who knows about spirits, did you?" Kyle was the one who spoke this time.

"And we're just a merchant," Kyle gestured to Urahara before gesturing to himself and the others of the group "and his employees."

Before anyone else could speak, Rukia appeared and snatched the Gikongan out of the air as Urahara was bouncing it up and down. "I believe that's mine, thanks."

"Ms. Kuchiki, you can't have that." Urahara told the girl as he turned to her.

"And why can't I have it Kisuke? Are you saying it's your policy to seize goods that your customers have already paid for?" Rukia replied as she too began bouncing the small sphere up and down.

"Hey, I'll give you a full refund. How does that sound to you?"

"That's okay, I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. Besides, I know and you know that you're operating outside the law." Rukia seemed like she had more to say, but was cut off as Kyle snatched the Gikongan like had done to Urahara and began speaking.

"Which means you could not only be charged with withholding information on illegal activities, you could also be charged as an accomplice for buying from us despite your knowledge. All and all, you're equally guilty." Kyle smiled at the young won as he kept the Gikongan enclosed in a tight fist.

Rukia grunted in minute frustration before she spoke "That is true, but I also know that it's neither yours nor Kisuke's job to recall that mod-soul."

"True, but it would be just as bad for you to continue possessing it, as it is an illegal item and your already in enough trouble as is." The teen smirked at the former Shinigami. Of course, Kyle had no idea whether or not anything he said was true, he was just hoping it was and that she believed his bluff.

Frustrated, Rukia tried to think of a way to refute him but couldn't. Everything he had said was true, and while he didn't out right say it he pretty much told her that he knew giving her powers to a human was illegal. Damn it, she thought she had been holding all the cards when she had brought up Kisuke's illegal activities but this guy had completely turned it against her, and now she was in more trouble than she thought possible. All she could do now was grit her teeth and glare at the confident teen who had driven her into a corner with just a few sentences.

What did the members of the Urahara shop think of this exchange? They knew it was a bluff. They weren't going to say anything of course, but they knew it was a bluff.

"So what do you want to do boss?" Kyle looked over Rukia's head towards Urahara.

"Well, if she says she's satisfied, then I guess there's no real harm." Kyle nodded at his employer's words before handing Rukia back the Gikongan with his 'charming smile'. "But Ms. Kuchiki, I hope you know what you're getting involved in, so don't blame if you get into trouble."

"I won't, I've already dealt with a lot of trouble since I've been here." Rukia told Urahara before turning to face Kyle. "You say anything, right?"

Kyle raised an eyebrow at Rukia before answering, his 'charming smile' unknowingly still on his face. "Say anything about what?"

Rukia smiled back at him. "Thank you."

As Rukia turned and walked towards Ichigo, she failed to see Kyle turn to his shop mates with a questioning face only to receive a group shrug in return.

"Here. Let's go." Rukia told Ichigo as she handed him the Gikongan and began walking away. Ichigo looked down and stared at the small orb resting in the palm of his hand before closing it and following after Rukia, leaving the Urahara group alone on the rooftop.

XxxxXxxxX

Twenty minutes later

Urahara Shop

XxxxXxxxX

"Hey Boss?" Kyle asked as the store residents sat around eating ice cream that the teenager had originally bought for Jinta and Ururu but some how managed to get roped into paying for everyone.

"Yes?" Urahara looked up from his ice cream.

"What was in that box you had me deliver to the hospital? It almost felt like it had it's own spiritual energy."

"Ah. Well, it was a kind of spiritual pheromone. On it's own it's harmless, but if you mix it with the right ingredients, you can create a form of bait for spiritual beings." Urahara replied before returning to his pistachio ice cream.

"Huh, cool." For a few moments, Kyle remained silent as his brain connected the dots before his eyes widened.

"Oh crap."

AN: And finished! Sorry about the late posting, I've been caught up about my grandfather's death and a few other problems with my life, but I've recovered for the most part and hopefully I'll get the next chapter out sooner. Personally, I'm not as proud of this chapter as I had hoped I would be. Because I wrote several parts of it at different times, sometimes with a full month in between each session, I have this feeling that the flow is off, but whenever I try to re-write it, it just ends up worse. Still, I got it done, and added a few unknown elements to this version of the Bleach universe. But I'll let you be the judges. For now, here's the first Omake in what I hope will be a group detailing the Taunts, Specials, and Smash of the characters of A New Player if they were in a Super Smash Bros. game. I hope to try a few other types of games in the future (ex. the Naruto: Ninja Storm series), but for now I'll stick with SSB.

Oh, I would also like to thank **Abalisk** for my cover image, which is how Kyle looks when he is in his 'Prosus' persona. Check out his stuff on deviantart and tumbler for more OC artwork!

Later!

XXXXXX

VG Omake 1: Kyle #1

 **Specials**

 **Neutral Special**

Chain Whip:Whips a chain dagger forward. If special button is held after chain is thrown, the first enemy or item caught by the chain is dragged back towards Kyle and Stunned. Can be charged for greater range and damage.

 **Side Special**

Shippujinrai: Slices through enemies with in a rush of lightning speed. Does little damage, but can be used in rapid succession and has no lag when it misses.

 **Up Special**

Chain Meteor: Throws a chain dagger upwards, grabbing a ledge, item, or enemy before slamming them down while swing upwards.

 **Down Special**

Life Drain: Kyle grabs and absorbs enemy's life force, damaging them while also healing Kyle before kicking them away.

 **Final Smash**

 **Shunko:** Kyle charges andunleashes a large black-and-white blast of fire in whatever direction the control stick is pushed towards (whatever direction Kyle is facing if control stick is not used).

 **Taunts**

 **Up Taunt:** Kyle leans forward while clutching his stomach before throwing his head back with a laugh.

 **Down Taunt:** Kyle flops down on the ground and falls asleep.

 **Side Taunt:** Kyle snaps his chain dagger like a whip, complete with sound.


	14. Chapter 14

_Last time on A New Player: Kyle is sent out on a delivery that is revealed to contain an ingredient used in hollow bait while the other residents of Urahara Shop discuss their plans for the teen. Afterwards, the group go to retrieve the Mod-Soul accidently sold to Rukia, eventually allowing the de-powered Shinigami to keep the product after unknowingly backing her into a corner._

A New Player

Chapter 14

"Jinta, Ururu, how much do you two know about video game classes?" The three of us stood in the middle of the training room, the two of them facing me with their weapons drawn.

"About as much as every other kid. What does that have to do with you taking our training seriously?" Jinta answered, his club resting on his shoulder.

"Simple. For the next while, we are going to be training as if we were actually in a specific class. Now for your classes, we have an Artillery, a Gladiator, and a Rogue." I pointed at Ururu, Jinta, and then myself as I spoke. At first, I was gonna call Jinta a Berserker, but I decided to lay off of him for today.

The pair nodded their heads before Jinta furrowed his brow. "Hey wait, Rogue is a standard class but ours are specific. What gives?"

I scratched my head and let out an embarrassed laugh. "Well, I made the mistake of collecting a few too many skills and now I'm still sorting out which ones to train. Putting my lack of fore-thought aside; Party Invite: Ururu and Jinta."

I waited until they accepted the invite before telling them to open up their skills. "Good, now let's see what we have here."

 **Ururu Tsumugiya**

 **Techniques**

 **Two-handed Gun Mastery (Adept), Lv: 22**

 **Scattershot, Lv: 16, Base Damage = (Standard Attack – 42%) per shot, max number of shots: 6**

 **Natural Charm (Type: Cute) Lv: 25, 12.5% chance of inflicting** **Charmed** **status on enemy when battle begins (Chance is doubled if target has Status: Easily Charmed (Cute))**

 **Spiritual Sense, Lv: 20, Range of Spiritual Sense: 100 meters, Semi-Descriptive Reiatsu classification/Related Skills: Spiritual Suppression/Reiatsu**

 **Jinta Hanakari**

 **Techniques**

 **Club Mastery (Adept), Lv: 18**

 **Jinta Homerun, Lv: 10, Base Damage = (Standard attack + 10%), Accuracy is decreased by 18%. Can redirect projectiles.**

 **Fastball, Lv: 8, Base Damage = Item weight (Kg) + (STR + DEX)/2, Accuracy decreases by 10% every 10 meters.**

 **Spiritual Sense, Lv: 16, Range of Spiritual Sense: 80 meters, Semi-Descriptive Reiatsu classification/Related Skills: Spiritual Suppression/Reiatsu**

Huh…this actually worked out better than I thought it would, at least for Jinta; he's got the high-power/low accuracy that most warrior classes have, and he's got a long range attack which means he won't be completely helpless against a long-distance fighter, even if the accuracy is something to be desired. A Buff or a crowd control skill and he's all set, at least for a while.

Ururu already has a multi-enemy shot and a status inflictor, so a power attack or an evasive or blocking technique will do her good.

"Okay you two, I'm going to help develop a technique for each of you, and then we're going to increase the levels of all your skills. Jinta, you're up first. Ururu, try to increase the level of your Spiritual Sense by suppressing it while running." As the two nodded, I smiled, and hoped, that I didn't screw up. Or get killed. Or both.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Training Camp**

 **Objectives:**

 **Help Jinta learn/create a new technique**

 **Train the technique to Lv: 5 or Higher**

 **Train Jinta's Club Mastery to Lv: 20 or Higher**

 **Train Jinta's Jinta Homerun to Lv: 15 or Higher**

 **Help Ururu learn/create a new technique**

 **Train the technique to Lv: 5 or Higher**

 **Train Ururu's Two-Handed Gun Mastery to Lv: 24 or Higher**

 **Train Ururu's Spiritual Sense to Level Lv: 22 or Higher**

 **Success: 60000 Exp**

 **Failure: 6000 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **8000 Exp added per bonus completed**

….That is one long list.

Jinta

"Jinta, I want you to scream."

"…Huh?"

"Sorry, bad choice of words. What I mean is, a lot of warrior classes have a yelling technique that works either as a buff, or as a way to scare off weak enemies. Ergo, I want you to scream."

Jinta looked at me like I was crazy but seemed to go along with it when he took in a gulp of air.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaa…." Woah, kid's got a set of lungs.

"Okay, that was good." I told him as he gasped for air. "Again, with feeling."

Huh, he's got a nice glare too.

For the next five minutes I watched Jinta scream his head, half of me wondering what else I could be doing to help him.

The other half was laughing like a hyena. Not sure at whom.

"Big…GASP…Bro…GASP…I don't…GASP…think it's…GASP…working." Jinta fell down at the last gasp. I hope he doesn't pass out, Urahara will be pissed if…I…that's it.

"Jinta, I think I figured it out!" Standing the boy up, I dusted him off and looked him in the eye. "Jinta, what makes you angry?"

"Lots of things. Why?"

"Because I want you to get angry. Think about them. All the things that piss you off. Remember those feelings, every bit of frustration, annoyance, rage, everything. Hold it in, keep holding it in until you can't do it anymore, and then let it out. Let the whole world hear you roar." I took a step back as I let his mind go to work. It may have been better to just annoy him into getting mad, but then he might not listen to me, and I think he could use a good stress yell. He and Ururu have seemed so stressed since yesterday.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

XxxxXxxxX

The seconds ticked away as Jinta thought about what made him angry. It was weird, he had a hair-trigger temper, he knew that; it got him in trouble more times than he could count. He looked up at Kyle, who looked back and simply…waited. The teen didn't belittle or look disappointed at the younger boy's progress, he just waited.

Jinta hated it. Kyle would laugh whenever he did something dumb, but never insult him about it. He didn't treat him like he was stupid, or worthless, or like a disappointment like his family did back before he ran away and got taken in by Urahara. He just…treated him like he did every other person in the shop.

He never told anybody, but the few occasions he managed to dodge Kyle's morning punch, the older boy didn't get mad or annoyed, he actually smiled and congratulated him. Like he was proud.

That was what Jinta hated. It would have been so much easier if Kyle acted like a jerk all the time, or sneered and looked down on him like his real big brother. It would make spying on him feel justified, it wouldn't make him feel ashamed for thinking about weaseling information about him.

Jinta hadn't even realized he had been clenching his fists until he heard Kyle tell him to yell. So that's what he did, with all the anger he had just built up along with it.

"GRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle's POV

XxxxXxxxX

"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I threw up my guard as I felt something almost like a wall slam into me as Jinta continued to scream. I knew I told him to scream, but this was way better than I was expecting. I kept up my arms as the wall kept trying to push me. It wasn't going to budge me any time soon, but I would bet most normal people wouldn't be standing in the same place.

I felt the wall weaken until it finally disappeared before I dropped my arms and walked over to Jinta, who looked up at me before a blue screen appeared in front of his face. "Nice job, Jinta! That was even better than I was expecting. Now let's see what we got here."

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

' **Angry Roar' has been created.**

 **Release your rage and sorrow in a mighty roar, pushing your enemies away and strengthening your resolve.**

 **Angry Roar (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - All damage is increased by 2% for 10 seconds. Consumes 25 MP. Enemies of equal total RP are pushed away by 5 meters. Enemies of lower total RP are pushed back by 10 meters and have a small chance of fleeing.**

"Haha, now that's what I'm talking about!" I smiled before turning to Jinta. "Now do it again, but this time your going to be attacking me."

"Alright, but don't go crying to the boss when I knock your ass out!" Jinta grinned as he took in a big breath. I quickly took off my shirt and activated Shunko just as Jinta finished his roar and slammed his club into my side. Good, he seems a lot less tense now.

I stood rooted to the spot, letting Jinta alternate between using his new technique and raining down blow after blow. It hurt like a bitch, and I could feel my bones protest with each strike, but I'd rather I get banged up then let him accidently run out of MP and get swarmed by zombies or ghosts in one of the IDs. It also helps that it will hopefully level up Shunko.

 **Shunko Leveled Up.**

 **Shunko, Lv: 6 Exp: 0.00%, Physical and Spiritual Damage increases by 35%, Physical and Spiritual Damage received is decreased by 25% and consumes 50 RP per second. Can be released in a concentrated wave that deals a base damage of Total RP used. Deals continuous damage for every 3 seconds target is exposed to attack Maximum time of attack is 6 seconds. 10% chance of attack backfiring and dealing 75% damage to user.**

Ah, sweet vindication.

After a few minutes, Jinta tried to release another roar, only to let out a gasp of air as his MP finally ran out. Thank Gaia too, my HP is down to 20%, I have no RP, and every part of my body is either in serious pain or numb.

"Heh, nice job. A minute more and I would have had to stop you. Now let's see how your skill looks." I congratulated him before he brought up his new skill.

 **Angry Roar (Active) Lv: 7 Exp: 0.0% - All damage is increased by 8% for 16 seconds. Consumes 25 MP. Enemies of equal total RP are pushed away by 5 meters. Enemies of lower total RP are pushed back by 10 meters and have a small chance of fleeing.**

"Not bad. It's gonna be a little while before it's battle worthy, but when it is, you're gonna be one hell of a heavy hitter."

"Damn right I am! Just wait, I'll be knocking hollows out of the park in no time!" Good, he's back to his old self. Now for Ururu.

"Alright Jinta, see that boulder over there?" I pointed towards one of the smaller boulders in the training room before handing him a pair of Mana Potions. "I want you to start using your Jinta Homerun on that boulder, and don't stop until either you smash through it, or I stop you."

"What do I do when I'm done busting it up?"

"Oh? You think you can smash through it before I'm finished with Ururu?"

"Hell yeah!" Jinta smirked before chugging one of the potions and rushing towards the rock with his club held high above his head.

I looked around for Ururu before I spotted her sitting atop the largest boulder in the clearing, my spiritual sense unable to pick her up even when I Shunpo'd right next to her. And here I thought I was supposed to be the rogue class; if I hadn't seen her with my eyes I never would have found her. "Hey Ururu, what's your Spiritual Sense at now?"

Ururu looked up at me before she brought up her skills. "Umm, Level 23."

"…Huh, I expected one level, not three. Nice. Come on, it's your turn for training." I offered my hand to her and helped her up before Shunpo-ing back into the clearing. Letting go of her hand, I kneeled down so we were both eye level. "Alright Ururu, you have to choices for your training. Do you want to learn a defensive technique, or an offensive one?"

She hesitated for a moment, looking towards the oversized gun that she held in the arm I hadn't held onto before looking back at me. "D-defensive."

I raised an eyebrow, less out of confusion and more for theatrics. "Are you sure?"

Ururu nodded her head. "I…don't like hurting people. I know that sometimes I have to, and I've done it before, but I don't like to fight. People get hurt, and when people get hurt, they get angry, and it's scary when people get angry." She ducked her head a little, but didn't break eye contact. "Am…am I weird?"

I blinked a few times before I smiled and patted her head. "No more than anyone else in the shop. Besides, the world needs that kind of thinking. Otherwise people like me would never realize that even if it's not to our tastes, there is a world outside fighting. Never lose that kindness of yours Ururu, it's a gift that few others possess."

The younger girl gave a small smile before she nodded her head…and then looked almost sad for a moment before she swung her gun onto her shoulder, a surprisingly determined stare on her face.

Hmm, well I'll ask about it later. "Ururu, what kind of recoil does your cannon have?"

The younger girl put her hand to her chin and looked up at the ceiling in thought. " Umm, it's really strong. If I don't plant my feet, it throws me backwards."

As if to illustrate her point, Ururu dropped the cannon from her shoulder and pointed it towards a nearby boulder before pulling the trigger, the room echoing with a resounding explosion as the cannon turned the large stone to ruble while simultaneously throwing the small girl back a good six meters before her feet hit the ground and she slid to a stop.

Hmmm…I just had an idea. "Ururu, can you do that again? But this time aim sideways."

Nodding her head, the younger girl swung the barrel so it was parallel to her body, took aim, and pulled the trigger again, repeating the previous event with equal success; boulder destroyed and sticking the landing. I had her repeat the process multiple times, instructing her to point the barrel in a variety of different angles until I was sure that my idea could work. "Alright Ururu, now you're going to be dodging these rocks using the recoil until you either get a window or I hit you with one of these stone. Think you can do it?"

"Mmhm, I'm ready!" Heh, she doesn't even realize she's almost yelling. Nice to know she's got a voice setting above 'Quiet'.

"Good! Now watch your head!" I yelled back as I chucked a stone a little smaller than a golf ball (like hell I was gonna use anything bigger, I'm not that stupid!) at her, Ururu already having swung the cannon to her side and fired before it got half way to her, pulling the trigger again when she saw that I had already chucked another rock at her. Snatching up a handful of rocks in both hands when I saw she had evaded again, I swung my arms sideways this time, forcing her to point the cannon barrel down before jumping up, the recoil sending her up towards the sky before she aimed down to dodge another rock, letting another round loose as she approached the ground to slow her decent, a pair of windows appearing as she landed. Good thing too, cause I was out of rocks.

"So, what's the verdict?" I asked as I looked at the little blue screens alongside her.

 **Two-handed Gun Mastery Leveled Up.**

 **Two-handed Gun mastery is Lv: 23**

 **A special skill has been created through a special action.**

' **Recoil Dodge' has been created.**

 **Have a blast dodging your enemy's attacks with a simultaneous hit-and-run technique.**

 **Recoil Dodge (Active) Lv: 1 Exp: 0.0% - Maximum dodge distance: 10 meters. Base Damage: 35. Consumes 25 RP per use.**

"Nice! Now to level it up." I smiled at Ururu as I began walking around and picking up any small rocks I could find before turning to the younger girl. "Get ready, cause now the fun begins."

XxxxXxxxX

10 minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

 **Training Camp**

 **Objectives:**

 **Help Jinta learn/create a new technique**

 **Train the technique to Lv: 5 or Higher**

 **Train Jinta's Club Mastery to Lv: 20 or Higher**

 **Train Jinta's Jinta Homerun to Lv: 15 or Higher**

 **Help Ururu learn/create a new technique**

 **Train the technique to Lv: 5 or Higher**

 **Train Ururu's Two-Handed Gun Mastery to Lv: 24 or Higher**

 **Train Ururu's Spiritual Sense to Level Lv: 22 or Higher**

 **Success: 60000 Exp**

 **Failure: 6000 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **8000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Quest Complete!**

 **Level Up!**

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Ghost Buster**

 **Level: 23 Exp: 33000/1000000**

 **HP: 925/925**

 **MP: 600/600**

 **RP: 1870/1870**

 **STR: 31**

 **VIT: 37**

 **DEX: 48**

 **INT: 24**

 **WIS: 24**

 **LUK: 21**

 **Points: 18**

 **Status: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster), Yoruichi's Apprentice (Gain +2 additional points to all stats per level gained while under Yoruichi's Apprenticeship, Hakudo Exp gain +50%, Shunko Exp gain +50%, Shunpo Exp gain +75%)**

I closed the windows, a little ticked that I didn't get the bonus objective, before looking at the tired forms of Ururu and Jinta before I gave the two a proud smile. "Well done, both of you. Jinta, you managed to smash through the boulder before I was finished with Ururu just like you said you would, and Ururu, you managed to evade all the rocks I threw at you without getting hit once. What do you say I take you two to the new arcade that just opened up a few blocks away as a reward?"

"Really? You mean it? Awesome!" Jinta jumped up and raced for the exit, his fatigue vanishing apparently forgotten. I laughed as I walked after him, Ururu following behind me.

XxxxXxxxX

5 minutes later

Karakura Arcade

XxxxXxxxX

As the three of us walked through the glass entrance doors, we were bombarded by a barrage of flashing multi-colored lights and the noise of a hundred different machines. Gaia damn it, I feel like I'm gonna throw up, my eyes and ears are getting way too many mixed signals!

Get out of my he-…oh screw it. If she hasn't stopped yet, she isn't gonna stop now.

"Ooooh! Big Bro, check it out!" Jinta drew my attention away from the seizure inducing mess of color and sound to show that he and Ururu were both pointing at a pair of small (compared to me) green and purple bikes with the English words 'Soul Cutter' written in on the frame that were hanging on the prize wall. "Those are the new Soul Cutter BMXs! Most stores don't even sell them yet!"

…Soul Cutter. Really? That's what they're called? Now that's just lazy…or is it ironic? Or maybe a really stupid coincidence? Shaking my head, I looked at the tags hanging underneath them…that's a lot of zeros.

"Well, if you two want them, you're gonna have to earn them." Looking around the arcade, I saw what seemed to be a token machine before I reached into my pocket and grabbed a set of bills before handing a few to each of them.

The two of them gladly took the bills before they turned to the balding, middle-aged man who was leaning against the counter. "Hey mister, do you have Whack-A-Tanuki and Mansion of the Dead in this place?"

…Two things. One, face-palm. Two, they're deliberately looking for games where they can exploit their respective weapons expertise and their near super-human physical abilities and senses. I'm so proud!

The man behind the counter looked over at the two before dismissing them with a lazy hand gesture. "Yeah, I think they're somewhere around here. Now unless you've got tickets, beat it."

Wow, what a jackass.

Following after Ururu and Jinta as they ran to the token machine, I waited until they had their tokens before grabbing a few of my own and telling them to find me in an hour before we dispersed. Walking through the various games, I tried to find one that caught my interest, an activity that took a good ten minutes before I spotted what I assumed to be the section of the arcade dedicated to more 'physical' arcade games: A Dance-Dance Revolution (Yay, no pun!), a few 'test-your-strength' games, and… Battle Mania: Punch of the South Star.

Guess I spoke to soon.

Deciding to save that one for last, I walked up to one of the power punching games, inserted a pair of tokens, and took a step back to let the bag drop before I reared my fist back and sent it forward.

I learned a few things the moment I made contact with the bag. First, even if it's not my highest stat, my STR still makes me much stronger than a normal person. Second, these machines were made for the average, everyday human to use.

Not people like me, as evidenced by the fact that the CLOTH-FILLED leather bag had smashed through, and was now embedded in the HARDEND PLASTIC pressure plate that was used to tell a person how hard they punched. The fact that sparks, electronic bits, and on the brighter side tickets were now shooting out of the machine were also pretty good indicators…

Walking away now. Just whistling and walking away from something that has absolutely nothing to do with me. After grabbing the tickets of course; far be it from me to look a completely coincidental gift horse in the mouth.

After I was sure no one was looking for me, I continued to simply walk around for a bit before Jinta, most of his body now completely covered in tickets, came running up to me. "Hey Big Bro, check out all my tickets. That Soul Cutter is mine!"

"Nice job Jinta, how did you manage to-" I looked over the paper cluster that covered the youngest Urahara shop resident to see the mangled wreck that I assume used to be Whack-A-Tanuki. "Never mind."

"U-umm, do you think we have enough?" I turned my head to see that much like Jinta, Ururu was also covered head to toe in tickets…nope, I'm not gonna look at her game of choice. I know it's most likely fine due to likely being a non-contact game like my world's version and Ururu's inherently kind nature, but I'm not gonna risk it. I refuse to risk it.

The three of us walked to the prize counter, the man looking like he was gonna wave us off again before he caught sight of our tickets, his eyes bulging out of his head and his jaw dropping as we placed the tickets on the counter. "We would like the Soul Cutters please."

The man just gaped as he seemed to count the tickets before his face went from shocked to cruel. "Oh I'm sorry, you have enough but I'm afraid these are yesterday's tickets, so I'm afraid they're invalid."

"Excuse me? That's bullshit, we won these tickets fair and square, and there aren't even dates printed on them!" I growled as I slammed my hand down on the counter. I'd love to let my Reiatsu loose and threaten to snap this guy like tooth pick, but there are too many kids in here. I may not be hero or even pretend to be one, but I'm not about to start harming a bunch children because one guy is trying to cheat me.

"We don't use dates, we use color to differentiate between the tickets."

"Then you wouldn't mind showing me now would you?"

"Sorry, but I can't leave the counter unattended to go get them. I'm afraid you're gonna have to come back another day."

"Sorry? I'll show you sorry old man!" Jinta yelled as he tried to climb over the counter before I pulled him back.

"Hmph, kids these days. No respect for honest work. Your parents should be ashamed of you." Jinta froze in my grip, his face going from red to pale as a sheet in moments, unshed tears at the corners of his eyes. I didn't need to know Jinta's story to decide what was gonna happen to this asshole.

He was gonna pay. Dearly.

"Jinta, Ururu, we're going." I didn't give the bastard a second glance as the three of us left. If he was gonna be a greedy jackass, then I knew exactly how to make him pay.

As the three of us walked out of the building, I stopped and knelt down so I was eye-level with them. "You two head back to the shop. I've got a few personal errands to run."

Ururu looked worried before nodding, while Jinta just kept his head down. "Jinta."

He looked up at me. "I don't know the story behind you being upset, and I won't ask if you don't want me to, but don't let anything that comes out of the mouths of jackass' like that get to you. You're a lot stronger than that."

Not one of my better speeches, but from how he wiped his eyes and nodded his head, I think I got my point across. "Good, now get going."

I waved at the two as they walked away before ducking into a nearby alley and Shunpo-ing up to the roof of the arcade. Now it was time to wait.

XxxxXxxxX

Midnight

XxxxXxxxX

I watched as the man from the counter locked the doors to the arcade before walking away. I waited a few minutes before focusing my senses, making sure no one was around before I hopped down to the street and turned to the glass double doors. I didn't have to have INT and WIS to figure out it probably had a security system in place in case anyone tried to force the doors open, so how to get in...

Oh, I just had a brilliant idea.

Raising my hand to the sky, I created a standard ID. After all, damage done in the ID doesn't affect the outside world.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

The next morning

Urahara Shop

XxxxXxxxX

"Jinta, Ururu, I have a present for the two of you!" Kyle called out as he opened the shop door.

"What kind of present Big Br-" Jinta was cut short as he spotted the Soul Cutter bike leaning against the teen's hip before a smile broke out across his face, a sentiment shared by Ururu, who had just walked into the front of the shop. "No way! Are those real? How did you get them?"

Kyle chuckled. "Well, I decided to go back and…'persuade' the owner. Now get going you two, I'll handle the chores today."

Walking into the back of the shop as the two kids rushed outside, Kyle sat down at the table for some breakfast and turned on the little TV that Urahara kept in the corner, the little screen popping up to show the news channel.

"And todays early morning story: the robbery of a new arcade has police baffled due to a seeming lack of entry point. We now go live to our field reporter Takashi Takanawa. What's the story, Takashi?"

The picture changed to show an average looking reporter standing next to the owner of the arcade. "I'm here with Manzan Hito, the owner of Karakura Arcade. Mr. Manzan, can you tell us what was stolen from the building?"

"Everything! They took everything that wasn't nailed down, and they took the stuff that was nailed down, including the nails! I don't even know who did it because they also took the security cameras!" Kyle laughed at the owners distressed, glad that the arcade machines and counter had fit in his inventory.

AN: So yeah, nothing serious this chapter. I know some of you were hoping for Uryu, but he's coming within the next two or three chapters. I just really wanted to get this out in time for Halloween. The next chapter will be longer, I promise.

Omake Time!

VG Omake 2: Ururu and Jinta (Like the Ice Climbers or Rosalina and her Luma)

 **Specials**

 **Neutral Special**

Cannon Shot: Ururu fires her cannon, creating an explosion in front of her if the button is tapped or launching a small energy blast if held

 **Side Special**

Jinta Homerun: Jinta releases a powerful swing that has a small chance of automatically smashing an opponent out of the ring a la Homerun Bat, however it causes atrocious lag if it fails to hit anything

 **Up Special**

Recoil Dodge: Ururu fires her cannon downwards, propelling her and Jinta up and damaging anyone below or to the sides

 **Down Special**

Angry Roar: Jinta releases a loud scream that damages enemies and reflects projectiles

 **Final Smash**

Scattershot **:** Ururu fires a barrage of large player-seeking energy blasts that create a large explosion on contact

 **Taunts**

 **Up Taunt:** Ururu aims her cannon up and causes a very small explosion

 **Down Taunt:** Jinta slams his club on the ground like a baseball bat

 **Side Taunt:** Jinta grabs onto Ururu's bangs and starts pulling on them


	15. Chapter 15

_Last time on A New Player: A lull in adventure begins with a day of training between Kyle, Jinta, and Ururu, where old faith starts pushing against new belief._

A New Player

Chapter 15

"You know, when I pictured my own personal money vault, I kind of expected…more." I told Gaia as she and I stood inside the aforementioned, newly created vault.

The room itself was great, carved oaken doors with gold accents opening into a circular marble-floored room with ivory pillars decorating the sides, beautiful red silk tapestries with white alstroemeria embroideries hanging between them, a violet carpet with indigo trim leading from the entrance to the pile of money that represented the wealth I had gathered in the outer world, which I had take the form of gold coins and jewels. With said pile being the reason for my disappointment.

Due in no small part to the fact that the 'pile' was only a few coins and a topaz so small I would have lost it if hadn't stood out so much against the carpet. Guess 265,000 yen doesn't mean as much as I thought it would.

"Well, that's currency for you. Be glad I didn't send you to 1920's Germany; 265,000 marks were worth less than a hundredth of a penny." Gaia exclaimed as she lightly kicked one of the coins, causing it to flip onto its other side.

"True…the timeline is going to start picking up soon." I thought back to a few nights ago, during the event with Don Kanonji **[1]**. For the most part I had just been a bystander, watching Ichigo and that Ghostbuster wannabe chase after that demi-hollow. I wasn't sure whether to laugh at or be embarrassed for Ichigo.

On one hand, I admitted that the narrow halls of the hospital were one of the worst environments for Ichigo due to the size of his sword, the danger of destroying parts of the hospital to make more room because of the people outside was to great, and not to mention that moron Kanonji getting in his way.

On the other hand, it had been level 9, had only just formed, and had the second lowest health of any hollow I had yet seen. The only hollow I knew of that had less was the level 5 tiki-masked hollow I fought when I first arrived in this world.

Curiosity getting the better of me, I had asked Urahara if Ururu and Jinta were really fans of Kanonji's show. Turns out, not only had they never even heard of it (despite being in the show's target demographic), our piece of shit mini-TV didn't even get the damn show's channel.

"That it is. You seem confident that you'll still be around. You're not worried Urahara will kick you out, or worse?"

I snorted as the two of us turned and began to walk out of the room. "Of course not. Fact is, I already know he's going to send me with Ichigo and his friends in order to observe my interactions with Aizen and the other Soul Reapers."

I paused before turning to face Gaia. "He knows I'm hiding something, and he has no idea what I will do if he tries to push me, so he will keep pretending to place his trust in me, trying to pull me closer and closer in his attempt to read between lines that aren't there until he can no longer see anything else."

The two of us resumed walking, exiting the vault and continuing along the edges of the walkways. "Funny thing is, I didn't need to be smart or even plan this out. Guys like Urahara and Aizen, they always have three big weaknesses: they believe everyone that they don't have some degree of control over need to be brought under said control, they will more often than not use a complex strategy where a simple one would be better, and they will believe that every action has reason."

"Personally, I sometimes wonder if you ever plan anything out at all, considering you prefer to do things on impulse." A taunting smirk danced across the woman's lips.

"Gaia, how could you ever say that? I plan for everything!" I mock-gasped before grinning back at her. "Well, I can't fault you for thinking that. I admit the only true planning I ever do is creating a long-term goal and maybe a few checkpoints that are crucial to reach it. Everything in-between is either a bunch of loosely connected short-term plans or, more likely, pure impulse and instinct. That's why I'm the worst type of opponent for Urahara; I do things just for the sake of doing them."

A tingle at the back of my head signified that Jinta was going to be waking me up soon, but not before Gaia spoke up one more time.

"Hmm, in regards to your attitude to Urahara, I can't help but draw comparisons to someone else."

I looked back at her and felt the corner of my lip twitch upwards. "Who do you think inspired me?"

A blink later, and I found myself staring up at Jinta. I waited a moment, the two of us tense, waiting to see who made the first move. One moment, then two, three…

Clink.

The echo of a plate being placed on the backroom table was the signal, my arm snapping upwards like a viper, Jinta's head swerving to avoid it. The feeling of hair just barely grazing my knuckles without true impact told me he succeeded before my eyes did. I gave a lopsided smile as I retracted my arm. "Not bad, you've gotten better."

"Heh, damn right I have. I bet you'll never be able to hit me agai-"

WAP!

"-OW!"

"Don't get cocky." I sat up and stretched, feeling the satisfying popping of my vertebrae before I stood up, walked out of my room and joined the rest of the Urahara shop at the table. Contrary to dinner and the occasional lunch, breakfasts were surprisingly monotonous, and followed a set of unspoken but iron-clad rules: Last one to finish does dishes, any unimportant discussions were reserved for either the beginning or the end; none of us liked being the awkward conversation person. And finally, the most important of all:

Never touch Tessai's morning tea. The man had his tea slow-brewed over the course of the entire night and only made enough for one cup, and if he didn't get it…well, there was an agreement amongst all the shop residents that the one responsible gets the word 'Moron' carved into their tombstone.

After eating, Jinta and Ururu had gone outside to start their chores, Tessai was doing whatever he felt needed to done, Urahara went out to the front room to wait for any customers, and I had started on the dishes. A few minutes into the task, I felt Rukia ping on the edge of my senses. If I recall correctly, that means today's the day Uryu uses that hollow bait and ends up summoning a Menos Grande, which in turn causes Soul Society to send Renji and Byakuya to retrieve Rukia.

I actually felt myself begin to smile at the prospect of fighting people who were hundreds of leagues above me. Gaia be damned, I really am a crazy bastard. Setting down the dishes, I heard Rukia begin yelling at Urahara.

"…- had to come in person because I've been calling for days with a major problem and you don't respond!" Not that it was difficult to hear her; for such a small and proper girl, she had an impressive lung capacity.

"Oh, sorry about that. It's just we've been really busy lately," We'd been ignoring her calls.

"but I was gonna call you today." No, he wasn't.

"Where's your friend? You know, that weird orange spikey haired dude? I don't see him." And that's my cue to stop Jinta from getting killed. Walking over to the door that separated the front and back of the store, I pulled it open just as Jinta finished talking about how Ichigo must have broken up with Rukia. I was really gonna have to talk to him about trying to piss off people that can kick his ass.

I chose to ignore the hypocrisy of my thoughts.

"Jinta, you're never gonna be popular with girls if you make those kinds of jokes about their relationship problems. Isn't that right, Rukia?" She didn't even bother acknowledging my statement. And girls wonder why chivalry is dead.

"This is serious. I need information."

Urahara tilted his hat up to meet the girl's eyes. "About what?"

Rukia closed her eyes and took a breath before answering. "What do you know about something called a 'Quincy'?"

"A Quincy?" I didn't miss how Urahara's eyes flited to me for a second. Probably gauging my reaction, or maybe he thought I was one? "I haven't heard that word in a long time."

"How long are we talking?" Truth be told, I forgot quite a bit of the early story knowledge about the Quincies before I ended up here, so my wonder was genuine. At least, that's how I hope it came across.

"Well, I'd say about two-hundred years, give or take a decade." Urahara answered as he tapped his fan against his chin. That was a lie, or at least a half truth; he's the one who helped Ichigo's Quincy mother when that weird hollow of Aizen's infected her or something. It's been too long since I read that chapter, my memory is spotty at best.

"Who are they?"

"I think you mean 'who were they?'. The last of the Quincies became extinct centuries ago, but they were once a clan that specialized in killing hollows." I can't help but wonder whether or not Tite Kubo fully planned out the Bleach storyline, considering all the inconsistencies with what was actually shown against what the characters said. Or Urahara could be lying some more, who knows? As Urahara began to tell Rukia about the history of the Quincies, I began trying to piece together my own Quincy timeline.

Let's start with the birth of Yhwach, one thousand-two hundred years ago; I have almost no information other than him saying he is the son of the Soul King, and that he was born blind, deaf, mute, and paralyzed, but with the ability to impart pieces of his soul onto other people, before taking the pieces back when the people died and slowly healing himself of his disabilities.

Fast forward to one thousand years ago, Yhwach attempts to invade the Soul Society after conquering an unknown portion of the living world but is stopped and defeated by Commander Yamamoto alongside the original Thirteen Court Guards. Yamamoto fails to kill him, but injures or weakens him enough that he needs to enter his thousand-year sleep, which creates the Kaiser Gesang. This means that despite undoubtedly being a threat, a few of the Quincies survived and weren't hunted down, at least not successfully, who in turn continue to spread the Quincy line across the globe.

Fast forward to two hundred years ago, the Quincies have grown strong and numerous enough that they have begun to threaten the balance between worlds with their rampant hollow destroying. Negotiations with Soul Society fail, resulting in their near genocide.

Present day and near future, only a handful of the Quincy remain. Yhwach awakens from his slumber and attacks Soul Society alongside his Sternritter, which include Bazz-B and Jugram, who were alive one-thousand years ago, which means they either survived the previous invasion, didn't join it, or were held back. Which implies Yhwach knew he wouldn't succeed the first time he invaded, planned for his own defeat, and has been playing Soul Society like a symphony orchestra for nearly a millennium.

And people say Aizen is tricky.

 **For thinking carefully about your situation, your WIS has increased by 1.**

Oh joy, the revelation that the entire afterlife is being played by one man earned me a stat point.

 _ **B-BUMP**_

My head snapped upwards as I felt dozens of hollows suddenly begin appearing all over my range, the cold and empty feeling contrasting the sudden weight that began to press down on me. Ichigo and Uryu's duel must have started.

"So Urahara, what's going on he-" Rukia must have noticed me. "What's wrong? Do you sense something?"

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

The ringing of her pager drew her attention. "Damn, a hollow alarm. Excuse me, business."

And just like that, it stopped. "Hmm? That's odd, the signal disappeared. Oh, it must be Ichigo. He's working quickly today-"

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

"Another signal?" It stopped. "What the? It cut out again?"

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP

"Again? This thing has to be broken, it's going crazy."

"It's not broken. It's receiving too many signals at once to function properly." My gaze hadn't strayed from the ceiling that hid the entrance to Hueco Mundo, where dozens of hollows continued to pour out. I turned to Urahara in time to catch a walkie-talkie he tossed at me.

"Go. Take out as many as you can before they can do any damage, and keep that radio on in case I have something else for you." I nodded my head as a quest pinged in front of me.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Día De Muertos**

 **Objectives:**

 **Defeat at least 25 Hollows**

 **Success: 100,000 Exp**

 **Failure: 10000 Exp, Civilian Injuries and Deaths, Possible Death**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **?**

 **?**

 **?**

 **15,000 Exp added per bonus completed**

Only 25? You're underestimating me Gaia.

I shot out of the house and Shunpo'd onto the roof of the next building. I didn't need to look far before I spotted the first victim of my hunt.

 **Grub Hollow**

 **Power Type**

 **Level 2**

 **HP: 100/100**

 **RP: 170/170**

 **STR: 5**

 **VIT: 4**

 **DEX: 2**

 **INT: 2**

 **WIS: 1**

 **LUK: 3**

 **Barely a hollow, these bottom feeders amongst bottom feeders are on the lowest rung of the hollow food chain, born of a truly weak and pathetic soul. Still, even they can be dangerous if allowed to group up. Won't stop you from being a laughing stock if it kills you though.**

I honestly felt a little insulted as I plough through its head with one kick. Sure, I didn't think the first couple of hollows would be difficult, but I expected more than this. Looking around, I saw that most of the hollows that had already come out of the now numerous holes in the sky were of similar strength, with the highest I could currently see amounting to a puny level four. And here I was hoping I would get a little exercise. I barely acknowledged a grub hollow that tried to fall directly on top of me, preferring to swing my foot up and simply let gravity do most of the work.

If this was all that they were going to bring, I wanted to have a bit of fun. But I also needed to fulfil the quest…oh, and save the civilians too. But how?

As an idea formed in my head, I once again became keenly aware of how twisted and fucked up I could be.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

XxxxXxxxX

Most of the hollows didn't even realize it was a trap, abandoning what meals they had been hunting to rush blindly towards the beacon of spiritual energy that suddenly sprang up out of nowhere.

The hollow called Millipede hadn't been one of them. Oh sure, he too was moving towards the beacon, his instincts and hunger demanded it, but he did so cautiously. His small, quick body and near-nonexistent spiritual energy might not have been suited to combat, but was ideal for snatching a quick bite and scurrying away before the other hollows could catch him, and its years of experience had given it a great deal more intellect then most of its brethren. Hopefully it could snatch a piece of whatever was generating all that delicious energy before the rest of the hollows were finished gorging themselves on it. Idly, Millipede noticed that several groups of hollows were making their way towards the beacon. This might not have been as easy as it had hoped. It didn't matter though, for the moment the groups neared the beacon, it vanished. The many hollows looked around in a vain attempt to find the source.

Then the humming started; a low, haunting noise that echoed throughout those that had gathered. A grub hollow a few feet away from Millipede suddenly found itself without a head just as the song hit a beat.

" _One, two, I'm coming for you."_

Two more dropped, their bodies dissipating into fragments. The hollows began to scatter, instincts screaming run as more were cut down.

" _Three, four, better run some more."_

Millipede was kicked to the side, sending him down into an alleyway as the larger hollows rushed over in an attempt to get away, only to be cut down.

" _Five, six, you've no more tricks."_

As Millipede crawled into a nearby garbage can and closed the lid, it became keenly aware of something. Whatever this thing was, it was playing with them. They were toys to be played with, and eventually broken.

" _Seven, eight, accept your fate."_

Millipede felt the last hollow outside die, it's energy disappearing from its senses. A minute went past, then two, then three. Slowly, it lifted the lid of the can up and surveyed its surroundings. Nothing. It had survived. It had survived where others died, and now it could go back it's little hole in the desert sand and munch on what little remained of its last meal-

" _Nine, ten, never eat again."_

The words were whispered gently, soothingly, next to its head. And like that, the hope of a simple meal was forever out of reach.

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle's POV

XxxxXxxxX

In hindsight, I wonder what kind of person it makes me that I had so much fun essentially torturing hollows and likely breaking a hundred different hunting laws. Did that make me a sadist or a sociopath, or maybe both? I think the first, cause I wouldn't do this to someone unless they were a murderer or rapist. Or in this case, a bunch of hollows.

Oh well.

Counting the trashcan hollow, that was kill thirteen. Halfway and counting. I noticed another hollow enter the edge of my senses, and with a quick Shunpo I was in the sky and dive bomb the poor grub. This was gonna be easy…

I didn't say it out loud, it shouldn't count.

XxxxXxxxX

15 Minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"Of course it counted, why wouldn't it count!" I yelled as I flipped back to evade the claws of a large bear-masked hollow, only to have to roll the moment I touched the ground in order not to avoid being smashed flat by another. Jumping up from a crouch, I sent my knee into the second hollow's chin, grabbing the side of its mask and vaulting myself onto the top of its head before taking out my chain from my inventory and wrapping it around the hollows neck like a noose, pulling as hard as I could while my new ride flailed and bucked.

Barely managing to stay on, I wasn't prepared for a third bear hollow jumping out of the newest hole in the sky and belly flopping right on top of me, sending all three of us tumbling to the ground and trapping me between the two spirits. Even the chance to gasp in pain was robbed from me when searing pain rippled from my leg as I was dragged out of the three man dogpile and flung across the roof tops like a skipping stone.

I slammed into one of those ventilation box things, my head ringing like a gong and my leg on fire. Blinking away the pain from my head, I looked down at the deep gouges in my leg where the hollow had sunk its teeth into me.

As I reached into my inventory to grab a potion, I saw the fingers and knuckles on my right hand had gone from red to almost purple. Turns out wrapping your hand in chains and punching something wasn't exactly the smartest thing in the world. There was good news though; that damn bear had flung me far enough that it had lost sight of me, though I doubt they would need to search for long.

 _BZZT "Kyle, can you hear me?"_

Not a good time, Urahara. Chugging, and nearly choking, on the potion I had grabbed, I pulled the radio from my pocket, brought it up to my face and pressed the button on its side. On a whim, I also used Observe on one of the hollows. Probably should have done it at the start of the fight, but I was too interested in trying to beat the shit out of them to think. Or care. "Yeah, I hear you."

 **Brown Bear Hollow**

 **Power Type**

 **Level 20**

 **HP: 850/1250**

 **RP: 1650/1650**

 **STR: 50**

 **VIT: 50**

 **DEX: 20**

 **INT: 10**

 **WIS: 15**

 **LUK: 20**

 **One of the five kinds of Bear hollow, the Brown Bear type is considered to be the weakest of them all, but makes up for it by traveling in groups of three. They are highly territorial, and for some strange reason instinctively hate blondes.**

Oh Gaia, I think I'm gonna puke. This is what's gonna kill me; not Urahara, not Aizen, not Yhwach, no, it was gonna be these stupid puns.

" _There's a girl named Orihime Inoue at Karakura High. I need you to go and get her. If she's conscious, convince her to come. If she's not, just grab her when no one's looking."_ Oh yeah, that doesn't sound wrong at all, I'll just need rope, chloroform, and maybe a windowless van! Does he want to get me arrested or something!?

"Right now? Cause I'm kinda busy at the moment." Hopefully they don't notice me, maybe I can sneak up behind them and they just found me. Shit.

" _Yoruichi told me to tell you that you can use 'it' if you need to, but ONLY for as long as you need to and not a second more."_

Oh, hell yes! "…Urahara?"

" _She likes Karakura-Brand Junmai Genshu sake, a store called Taidana Liquors in the downtown area sells it. Just tell them you're a friend of mine."_

"Much obliged. One thing though."

" _Yes?"_

"Why did you refer to my Shunko as 'it'? You know the name."

" _Because I'm in front of other people and wanted to look mysterious."_

"Oh. I'm sorry."

" _No, you're not."_

"Nope, not even a little. Later." I shoved the radio back into my pocket and pulled off my shirt as the trio of hollows charged towards me. "Come on you oversized teddy bears,"

Releasing my Shunko, I shot forward and planted my fist right in the middle of the central hollows mask, the black and white flames protecting my fist from most of the damage as cracks began to spider web across the surface of the bone. "Let's see what you've got!"

Shunpo-ing skywards, taking the briefest of moments to admire the clear sky, I spun around to face my targets before spreading my arms wide, letting loose a veritable hail of Shuryūdan as I descended into a stomp on top of the first hollow, who I have just now decided shall be named Papa Bear, leaping off of him to avoid the second bears paw, taking a chunk of Papa Bears health rather than my own.

Turns out Papa Bear didn't like that, cause he reared up on his hind legs and roared at the hollow that struck him, only to immediately back down when it stood up and roared right back.

Hello, Mama Bear.

My attention was drawn away from the two when I felt third bear stomp up behind me, a throaty growl rumbling from its throat. I turned my head to look at it. "Guess that makes you Baby Bear, huh?"

I'm not sure whether or not he actually understood my words, but it seems he understood enough to know that I was mocking him. With a violent roar, he brought his paw down to try and crush me.

"Oh, Naughty baby! You deserve-" Sidestepping the appendage, I pulled my fist back and delivered a jumping uppercut into Baby Bears jaw, unintentionally releasing a small blast of Shunko energy that launched him both off his feet and the roof. "a spanking!"

My victory didn't last long though, as I only barely managed to dodge Papa Bear's own paw, his massive claws managing to cut into my shoulder and arm. Shunpo-ing to another rooftop, I held my hands out forward and began a barrage of Shuryūdan that would make any Z-Fighter proud.

Before the smoke could clear, I took a running start, jumped and smashed my heel into Papa Bears stomach just as he stood up out of the smoke, his body folding over itself as the last of his health dwindled away to nothing.

I would have smiled, had Mama Bear not succeeded where the other two had failed, catching me mid-air and crushing me against the roof. As she stood up to do it again, I managed to collect my wits enough to Shunpo away just as she came down and smashed a hole clean through the roof. Shunko or not, I doubt I would have been able to survive that.

I tried to take a deep breath, only gasp and lurch forward in pain. Yeah, I definitely broke a few ribs, but seeing as how I'm not coughing up blood, I don't think anything's punctured. Worse yet, I could both see and feel my Shunko running out, the black and white flames now appearing more like a mirage then armor.

A twinkle of light caught my eye as I watched Mama Bear pull her paw out of the roof. My chain had managed to get moved around so that it was now snagged around Mama Bear's front teeth, the rest of the chain dangling near her chin. I also looked between her legs to spot another ventilation box just behind her.

Okay, I have a plan…an idea…a fragment of an idea…I've got something that I'm not sure about in the least but I want to try it out anyways.

Creating a Shuryūdan, I chucked it towards Mama Bears head and detonated it, blinding her and giving me a chance to Shunpo up and grab my chain, flip over her, execute a perfect three-point landing, and swing my chain around ventilation box before running back in-between Mama Bears legs. Which placed me right back in her line of sight.

It's funny, she could simply fall back and she would be free of my chain, but she was too focused on reaching me, her body reaching forward while her head was being pulled back, so she was now stuck in a very off balance standing position. Not that she would be stuck for long, the vent box was already ripped almost halfway off the roof and I could hear several links in my chain cracking and popping from the strain. I had to act fast.

Leaping up, I hooked my chain around a few of Mama Bears lower teeth, using her own jaw strength to force her mouth open. Holding on to her mask, I pulled my fist back and focused the remains of my Shunko into my hand.

"Godzilla, eat your heart out."

Punching down, I released my Shunko directly into Mama Bears throat, causing her to swell up before being ripped apart from the inside, bits and pieces of her being sent flying all across the surrounding area.

It was only when I landed back on what little remained of the roof that I realized the unfortunate side-effect my personal homage to the king of monsters had. Namely, the giant ass hole that now occupied the roof, all the lower floors of the building, and if the pipes and powerlines were any indication, a fair bit of the town's budget.

I think that's my cue to leave. Grabbing my chain, shirt, and various item drops, I took one last look around the area when I realized something.

Baby Bear was gone.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

XxxxXxxxX

Uryu's breath hitched as he felt the pressure from that unknown Reiatsu for the second time today, equal parts fascinated and, though he would never admit to it, afraid. It wasn't the amount or size that scared him, it was only slightly greater than his own after all. No, what frightened him was its nature.

Reiatsu wasn't just a form of intimidation or a show of power, though those were its most common uses. It was also a way to determine a beings' nature, the core of their personality. Kurosaki's was straight-forward, stubborn, but with an undercurrent of kindness. His own had been described by Ryuken (in veiled and all around insulting terms) as jaded and prideful, though also self-sacrificing and willing to help others. Not that his had been any different.

But while this Reiatsu wasn't evil and had compassion within it, everything else about it was…wild, unnatural. Endlessly, unquenchably hungry for…something. Not money, or love, or power, but something else.

Uryu was shaken out of his thoughts when a particularly sneaky group of hollows had gotten close to him, forcing him to dodge and weave while releasing arrow after arrow into the corrupted spirits heads. By the time he was done, the Reiatsu was gone again.

It had felt human, but Uryu shook his head at the notion. No human could release such disturbing Reiatsu.

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle's POV

Karakura High

XxxxXxxxX

I winced as another wave of pain flared up in my knuckles. Even with Shunko preventing most of the damage, the continuous impacts of my fist against hollow mask and flesh had further irritated my busted hand.

Pushing the pain away to the back of my mind, I looked down at the unconscious Orihime, which now that I thought about it, would give any sane passerby reason for concern. Not that I would care, unless they called the cops of course. I was confident I could evade them, or if necessary break out of jail, but I didn't want to set a bad example for Jinta and Ururu.

Well, not THAT bad of an example.

Picking up her hairpins and placing them in my pocket, I was about to pick her up and sling her over my shoulder when a thought popped into my head. Shunpo created wind when used, and she was wearing a very short skirt. Those weren't exactly an ideal combination.

I mean, I was a pretty open minded guy; as long as it was consensual, I say go forth and screw whoever or whatever catches your fancy. While I have no doubt Orihime would forgive me if she found out, she was that kind of person after all, I wasn't entirely okay with flashing her panties for all the world to see.

Bridal style it was.

Rolling her onto her back, I placed my arms behind her knees and upper back before lifting her up and Shunpo-ing towards the store.

A few steps later, I stopped outside the store front, the other residents standing in outside. After the obligatory 'Who's she?', 'What are you doing with he?' questions from Jinta and Ururu, I followed Urahara into the back room and laid Orihime down next to Chad.

I turned to the blond-haired former captain. "So, what now? Do you want me to head out again?"

"No, just get Tessai to fix up your hand and rest up. We're not done yet." I nodded my head when a window pinged in front of me.

 **Día De Muertos**

 **Objectives:**

 **Defeat at least 25 Hollows**

 **Success: 100,000 Exp**

 **Failure: 10000 Exp, Civilian Injuries and Deaths, Possible Death**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **?**

 **?**

 **?**

 **15,000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Quest complete!**

…Damn it. Not a single bonus completed, and if memory serves, I only managed to kill twenty-six hollows. A quest completed in name alone.

As I stood up and moved to the door, Urahara must have sensed my agitation. "Kyle?"

I turned my head towards him in acknowledgement.

"You did good out there."

"…Not good enough." And with that last comment, I opened the door and walked out.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

XxxxXxxxX

Ichigo and Uryu stared up at the giant rift in the sky as the largest hollow either of them had ever seen forced its head through the hole.

"That's not your everyday garden-variety hollow." Ichigo commented as the giant hollows hands forced the rift open even wider, the cracks in air surrounding it spreading even further.

"That little bit of bait I used can't possibly have drawn this." It wasn't mere disbelief in Uryu's voice. He had done numerous tests, and used every bit of his intellect to calculate how many and what level of hollows his bait would lure into the human world. Either something else had drawn them here, or many these hollows had been forced into the human world just as Uryu had used his bait.

Truly, the greatest revelations were made, and ignored, unknowingly.

"Maybe not, but it's here."

Unfazed by the presence of another, albeit much more powerful, member of their kind, the gathered hollows began to close in on their quarry. Without a second thought, the two teenagers went back-to-back as a trio of hollows jumped towards them.

Only for their heads to separate from their bodies mid-jump as several of the grounded hollows were torn to pieces by spiritual bullets.

"Huh?" Came the intelligent response from the two warriors as they turned their heads to the source of the gunfire, a small girl wielding a massive cannon quite literally twice the size of her body.

When she finally stopped firing, she bowed apologetically to the speechless teenagers. "I'm sorry we're late."

The surprises didn't stop there though, as a red-haired boy knocked away a trio of hollows, a large tanned man just out right tore the head off another, and finally a teenage boy dropped to the ground ninja style as two more hollows were sent flying heads over heels with their masks completely shattered.

"I thought you might need a little assistance, Ichigo." Urahara said as he walked into the clearing.

"Mr. Hat n' Clogs!" Ichigo exclaimed as the other members of the Urahara Shop set about tearing through the gathered hollows in a hail of bullets, club swings, and kicks.

'If you don't mind me making a suggestion, why don't my crew and I take care of these small fries for you Ichigo," Urahara told the carrot-topped teen as he lightly fanned himself before pointing towards the Menos Grande that had managed to force itself further into the human world. "while you go concentrate on that big guy. Oh, and you should probably get started before it's too late."

The two teens watched as the massive hollow turned its attention towards them.

"That thing is too big for any of our weapons." Uryu calmly analyzed with a frown on his face, a stark contrast to his companion.

"Ha, just because it's over fed doesn't change anything. We're just gonna have to chop a little more." Ichigo unknowingly grinned as he spoke, the last part of his sentence confusing Uryu.

"Chop?"

"Yep, and the bigger they are the harder they fall. Come on, together we'll take that ugly sucker down! Let's go Uryu!" Ichigo roared as he ran towards the massive hollow.

"Ichigo! Don't be crazy!" Uryu yelled in disbelief as he ran after his self-proclaimed enemy just as Rukia and Kon arrived on the scene.

"Ichigo! Ichigo, stop! You two aren't enough to go up against Menos Grande-" The raven-haired girl would have continued had Urahara not stepped in front of her. "Urahara! Are you trying to get Ichigo killed out there-"

Again she was interrupted when she found herself and Kon wrapped in chains, pinning their hands and legs together as they fell to the ground. "Ah, ah, ah, my boss doesn't want anyone to interfere with this fight. Don't worry though, he may be crazy, but he's not stupid."

Rukia looked up to see the Urahara's delivery boy holding the chains that bound her. "I really do apologize for having to treat a lady such as yourself so roughly, but Urahara doesn't pay me as is so I don't want to think about what kind of punishment I'll receive if you interfere."

"What about treating me so roughly?" Kon asked as he squirmed on the ground, trying to wiggle out of the intersecting metal links.

"You're lucky I don't simply tie you to a rock and drop you in the river, you damn pervert!" Kyle yelled back while kicking a stone straight into Kons' nose.

"Don't worry Ms. Kuchiki, it's as my employee said; I know what I'm doing." Urahara told the bound girl, his hat casting a shadow over his face. "This is a battle that must be fought. Both for him, and for you."

Possessing neither the brute strength nor any escape skills, Rukia was forced to lay there and watch as Ichigo and Uryu were tossed around like a pair of ragdolls, feelings of dread welling up inside her.

Which were somewhat diminished when Uryu tied Ichigo's sword to his head, but at least she didn't double over laughing like her captor. Seriously, all those brains and that was the best idea that Uryu could come up with?

The feelings of dread returned tenfold when red and purple energy began collecting in front of the Menos Grandes mouth. "Oh no. A Cero! Does he intend to release a Cero right here? **[2]** "

Struggling to free herself from her metal bonds, Rukia turned her attention back to Ichigo and Uryu. "You've got to run, both of you! If you get hit by that there'll be nothing left of you!"

Ignoring her, or just plain not hearing her over the vicious winds and screech of concentrated energy, Rukia watched as Ichigo grabbed his sword off of Uryu's head and actually run towards the Menos Grande.

"Haha, the dude is crazy!" Kyle laughed as he watched the events unfold, not a hint of worry in his voice.

"You say that as if you're any different." Urahara replied, his own mysterious smile showing that he also found Ichigo's choice of action amusing.

"Any different? Ha! The only difference is I don't try to hide it!" If the unpaid delivery boy was going to say anything more, it was cut off as the massive hollow opened its mouth and unleashed the Cero directly on top of Ichigo just as he brought his sword up, the beam of energy nearly forcing him to his knees as he struggled to stay standing.

The rest of the clearings inhabitants could only stare in varying levels of excitement (Kyle), satisfaction (Urahara), and awe (everyone else) as Ichigo not only withstood the blast, but actually began pushing it back.

"I think it's time." With Urahara's words, everyone watched as Ichigo let out a mighty yell and with one last swing of his sword, split the Cero in two and carved a massive chunk out of the towering hollow.

"He…cut it open." Rukia couldn't believe it. A Menos Grande, a hollow spoken of like the human world's boogeyman, untouchable to all but the highest ranking of the seated officers, was retreating from a teenager who had no formal training, no Bankai or even a Shikai, and who had only been a Soul Reaper for a few months. So numb in her awe and disbelief, Rukia didn't even realize she was no longer bound by Kyles' chains as she watched Ichigo proclaim his victory before falling flat on his face.

"Wow. No wonder the boss was so interested in him." Rukia shook herself out of her disbelief and looked towards Kyle before being taken aback by the hungry smile that spread across his lips.

"Careful Kyle, you're drooling." Urahara quipped, his smile hidden from view by his fan but evident in his voice.

The teenager merely snorted, but wiped his mouth nonetheless. "I can't help it. After that display, how could you expect me to not want to fight him?"

Urahara didn't bother answering, though he kept smiling, even as an enormous wave of heat and energy exploded out from Ichigo's sword.

Rukia cursed "Ichigo released all his spirit energy at one time! It looks like it put way too much strain on his body!"

The girl could only watch helplessly as Uryu began absorbing Ichigo's out of control energy before releasing it in bits and pieces as spiritual arrows until it finally stabilized, collapsing to his knees as the self-destructive wave of energy finally subsided.

A hard-fought victory had been won this day, but that same victory heralded an end to peace.

XxxxXxxxX

That night

Hueco Mundo

XxxxXxxxX

It ached. The scar that human had inflicted upon it burned hotter, more painful, with every step the hollow took, the pain having long passed the realm of unbearable. And yet it continued to walk as if unaffected, for something else within its mind burned hotter the any pain.

Hatred. Rage. Sorrow. The pain was nothing to any of these things alone. Together? The pain wasn't even worthy of being called an annoyance.

'Family' was a word rarely, if ever, spoken amongst hollows. To find family, not just companions or servants, but true genuine familial bonds amongst hollows was incalculably rare, and not even Barragan, legendary for his arrogance and lack of empathy even amongst hollows, laughed at or belittled those few hollows that truly found that impossible bond. But it had found that bond. It had found what so few hollows did. It had found family.

And that human had taken it away, forced him to flee alone, with a cracked mask and no one to soothe the pain.

The human would pay. It would not rest, it would not falter, it would not die, until it held that human in its paws and made him suffer, made him beg for death. A thundering impact drew the hollows attention.

A Menos, badly injured but still alive, if only for a few moments longer. This was it. The beginning of its path. Lumbering unafraid towards the massive hollow, it opened its jaws and began to feast, uncaring of the pained cries of its unfortunate prey.

It would grow strong. It would feast and devour. And when the time came,

It would have its revenge on the flame-cloaked human.

AN: And that's chapter 15. I'm not gonna lie, if you guys don't like this chapter, I don't blame you; I don't like it either. But I made a promise to one of my readers to get it out by this week, and I refused to break it. Now, I know a lot of you wanted to see more of Ichigo and Uryu fighting hollows and the Menos, but honestly it would have been no different than recounting the anime even more than I already did. Now for markers.

[1] There really wasn't any need to do Don Kanonji because everything would have been exactly like the anime. Fact of the matter is, the ripples of Kyles' decisions aren't gonna start showing up until later; he just hasn't done anything that would influence most events yet. This is also the same reason most of the dialogue hasn't changed and several scenes (Menos fight) were the same; aside from a few comments and responses, Kyles presence wouldn't really change anything.

[2] I like 'Cero' better then 'Doom Blast'. That's it, no other reason.

 **Side-Story: The Troubles of Manzan Hito, Part 1**

(Note: For future reference, the difference between Omakes and Side-Stories is this: Side-Stories are canon, and actually take place sometime during the story. Omakes are just fun little thoughts I had.)

Enjoy!

Manzan let out a belch as he finished chugging another beer while watching the TV, enjoying a rare moment of peace while his wife and kids were out of the house. Ever since the robbery of the arcade, not mention a huge house fire and a massive jump in insurance, them and their two kids had gone from living in a cozy four-bedroom, three-bathroom western style house to a busted up three-story apartment building in the eastern area of town. He kept telling his wife it was only temporary until the insurance money finished getting filed and approved, but that wasn't good enough for her.

Nothing ever was.

But at least he still had his widescreen TV and recliner chair. Speaking of which, he needed a refill. Pulling himself up from his chair, he walked into the kitchen/dining room, only for the entire building to start violently shaking. As a seasoned Japanese man who could tell whether an earthquake was dangerous or not, Manzan dove under his dining room table and covered his head while the building was rocked by more violent shaking, creaking, AND WERE THOSE EXPLOSIONS!?

Covering his ears, Manzan prayers for the earthquake to end were answered with one last massive explosion, before all was silent. After a full half hour of waiting, Manzan finally peaked his head out from under the table, and then finally the rest of his body followed. Wondering about the potential damage to his possessions, he chanced a look into the living room.

And found a giant hole through the roof and floor that occupied every last inch of his living room.

Unable to truly comprehend what he saw in front of him, Manzans' mind genuinely believed that it couldn't get any worse.

And then door opened, his wife's voice echoing within the ruins

"Dear, the car looks like it's been crushed by somethi-WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CEILING AND FLOOR!?"


	16. Chapter 16

_Last time on A New Player: Dealing with the side effects of Uryu's Hollow bait, Kyle unknowingly creates his own enemy, and the end of the day signals the end to peace._

A New Player

Chapter 16

 **Attention! Software Update available!**

…What the hell?

Mornings in the Urahara shop had never been normal, what with all the…well everything, but generally either I got woken up by the kids, or one of the adults dropped a delivery box on my stomach and told me to deliver it before I missed breakfast. Even when I got a window it was always to tell me about a buff or debuff I got while sleeping. Like the time Jinta put a spider in my bed and didn't realize it was poisonous until I woke up with the status effect 'Poisoned'. So, I tossed a bucket of cockroaches on him while he was doing chores.

We're still searching for that damn spider.

 **Software Update Includes: Revamped Status Window, Access to future DLC Arcs [1]**

DLC Arcs? Like the Bount arc?

 **No, these are all original**

I blinked a few times before shrugging and calling up my Status.

 **Kyle Wilson**

 **The Gamer**

 **Title: Ghost Buster**

 **Level: 23 Exp: 283100/1000000**

 **HP: 925/925**

 **MP: 600/600**

 **RP: 1880/1880**

 **STR: 31**

 **VIT: 37**

 **DEX: 48**

 **INT: 24**

 **WIS: 25**

 **LUK: 21**

 **Points: 18**

 **Perks: Intermediate Martial Artist (+1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 DEX every second level, Learn Hakudo/Martial Arts based techniques +25% faster) / Yoruichi's Apprentice (Gain +2 additional points to all stats per level gained while under Yoruichi's Apprenticeship, Hakudo Exp gain +50%, Shunko Exp gain +50%, Shunpo Exp gain +75%)**

 **Buffs: Steel Shin Guards (Defense: 10. Increase kicking damage by 10%. Damage taken reduced by 10 points)**

 **De-buffs: N/A**

Not bad. The words were a bit crisper and had a nice shadow effect, and now I could clearly see my buffs and de-buffs. I felt a smile pull at the corner of my lips. It was always the little things that people appreciated most.

Pushing away my covers, I grabbed some fresh clothes out of my inventory and opened the door of my little bedroom/borderline closet in time to see Jinta reaching out to grab where the door handle used to be.

"Huh, you're already up?" Jinta blinked in surprise as he retracted his hand. I would be hurt if it weren't for the fact that I had only once before not needed the aid of another to wake me up. Then I saw that Jinta had started smirking. "What, did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah, I dreamed I was you. Scared me right awake." As Jinta sputtered out a response, I lightly rapped my knuckles on top of his head as was tradition before the two of us moved to the table, the humans eating assorted rice and vegetables and the cat having milk in a saucer. "So, what's on the schedule today?"

Urahara swallowed whatever it was he was chewing and turned to me. "How capable are you with spying on someone?"

That…was not what I was expecting. I mean, I expected something similar with me being the target of said spying, but not this. "I have a Stealth skill and have gotten better at hiding my spiritual energy, so I as long as whoever I'm spying on isn't expecting me I should be okay."

"Hmm, it will have to do. Do you remember Rukia Kuchiki?" I nodded. "I'd like you to follow her around for the day. And don't interact with her unless you absolutely have to."

I quirked my eyebrow for multiple reasons. I knew what was gonna happen, but I couldn't let him know that. And once again the way he phrased it showed he either had no idea how creepy he sounded, or he just didn't care "Okay, but why?"

Urahara shifted again, his eyes now hidden in the shadow of his hat as I felt distinctly like a bug under a lens. "Call it a precaution."

Translation: I'm not telling you. Got it. I swayed my head from side to side in a false display of thinking over the subject before nodding my head. Without a warning, the feeling of being under a microscope was gone, replaced by Urahara's wider-than-should-be-physically-possible open mouth smile. "Wonderful! She should be heading to school right about now. Need anything before you go?"

"Just one question."

Urahara nodded, his smile still in place, but that microscope feeling was starting to creep up my back again. "Ask away."

"Why is Yoruichi in cat form?" I pointed towards where the disguised cat was lapping up milk from a bowl before looking up towards me with a cat-smirk.

"Why? Did you prefer my other form?" The contrast between the deep masculine voice and my knowledge of what she actually was conjured up some really weird images in my head, but I managed to push them away.

"Yes. Infinitely more so." The cat giggled at me which, again, really screwed with my head thanks to her voice.

"Too bad for you. I happen to find this form very enjoyable, so I'm going to be staying in it for a while."

I clicked my tongue in faux-annoyance before a box appeared before me.

 **The Perk 'Yoruichi's Apprentice' has been lost.**

This time I clicked my tongue in legitimate annoyance. Things just got a good deal harder for me.

"Alright, I'm heading out." I finished up my rice and opened the door, reaching down and scratching behind Kuroashi's ear as he passed through before heading out of the shop, a part of me wondering where the Quest pop up was.

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Stalker**

 **Objectives:**

 **Spy on Rukia Kuchiki for the day without getting caught**

 **Success: 10000 Exp**

 **Failure: 1000 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **2000 Exp added per bonus completed**

Screw you Gaia.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd person POV

Several minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

Her lessons received at the hands of her tutors was all that kept Rukia from looking down at her feet as Orihime continued to talk about summer vacation. Adopted and soon to be on the run she may have been, but it wouldn't do for a member of the noble house of Kuchiki to have anything less the perfect posture.

She would have laughed at her fate if it wouldn't have drawn attention to herself. Even after all these years she sometimes found it hard to believe. Her, a Rukongai born orphan, was a member of the Kuchiki family. Personal tutors, a prestigious name, and privileges that not even some of the captains had were laid before her when she was adopted.

And yet…she had thrown it away. She knew what would happen if she gave Ichigo her powers, that the Soul Society would eventually find out even if she got her powers back before anyone could notice.

She had kept pushing it out of her mind, focusing on hollows and the people she had met in a desperate attempt to forget her eventual fate, and it had worked for a while, but now her borrowed time was reaching its end.

Watching the school coming ever closer, Rukia was one of many who never noticed the sight of a lone young man standing atop a nearby bridge before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle's POV

Karakura High

Lunchtime

XxxxXxxxX

I stifled a yawn as I crouched in the tree overlooking the group of girls that surrounded Rukia and Orihime, the branches hiding me from view. Honestly, the only noticeable thing that had happened was watching Kon getting batted into the stratosphere.

Sure, my Stealth skill had gone up five levels, allowing me to finally stand while in Stealth, and would likely go up a few more times before the day was up. But it was so boring. Unlike the anime and manga, where there was ominous music and a sense of tension to make me seem mysterious and threatening, there was nothing but the giggling of teenage girls and the occasional bird either pecking at my head for being near its nest or trying to make a nest out of my head.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I heard Girl-that-showed-up-once ask Rukia as the raven-haired girl took a sip from…whatever she was drinking. "Do you have a crush on Ichigo?"

Ooh, that's pretty rainbow for being made out of spit and what I think was chocolate milk.

Rukia just stared slack jawed at the girl as chocolate milk dripped from her mouth. "I'll take that as a maybe, but exactly is your relationship with him?"

While the girls started into what-if romance talk, I finally gave up and let one of the birds, a little grey one, start building a nest on top of my head. I'd been shoo-ing him/her away for over half an hour and yet they kept coming back, so at this point I realized it was futile.

On the subject of romance though, I'd always been an Ichihime fan. True, their relationship was a little underdeveloped in the manga, and I have no idea how the story ends, but maybe the last arc would give a little more character to their relationship. Of course, if he ended up with Rukia I have no problems with them; they have good development and have some real nice moments. I just always saw them as more familial then romantic.

Honestly, I just hope Shonen Jump doesn't screw Kubo over and make him rush the ending.

Stifling another yawn, I sat there staving off a nap for a few more minutes before my eyes closed shut.

Only for the damn bell to ring, signalling the end of lunch. It took all of my willpower not to scream, fall out of the tree, and let go of my Suppression as my eyes snapped open at the noise. I'm beginning to remember why I hated school.

As I watched Rukia and her friends leave for class, the sound of static reached my ears. Reaching into my pocket, I turned the frequency knob until I heard Urahara's voice clear enough to understand and held it to the side of my head, careful not to disturb the small nest that now sat atop my head.

"Kyle, are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here. You need me to come back?"

"After the school day ends. Has anything happened that I need to know about?"

I scoffed "Not unless you count having to sit in a tree for a half-hour listening to girls talk about hypothetical and maybe romances."

"Ah. You have my sympathies." Then why do I hear you laughing, you blond bastard. "If nothing happens, come back for dinner; Stalking is a hungry task after all."

I raised eyebrow "Speaking from experience?"

"Not in the way you're no doubt thinking of." I would have called bullshit, but considering Urahara used to be part of the Onmitsukidō, he probably has stalked people for missions.

"Whatever you say boss. I'll radio if anything happens."

XxxxXxxxX

Later

Urahara Shop

XxxxXxxxX

 **Stalker**

 **Objectives:**

 **Spy on Rukia Kuchiki for the day without getting caught**

 **Success: 10000 Exp**

 **Failure: 1000 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **2000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Quest Complete!**

"That was one of the most boring things I've ever done." I complained as I opened the door to the shop. "Hey, I'm home."

"Oh, welcome ba-" Urahara stopped in the middle of his sentence as his eyes, as well as the eyes of Tessai and Yoruichi looked towards the top of my head. "Kyle, are you aware that there is a nest on top of your head?"

"What, you don't like it? I thought it would bring out the color in my eyes." Sarcasm dripped out of my voice as I motioned to said part of my face.

"Bah, you youngsters these days don't know the first thing about fashion. Back in my day a man looked his best when he was clean and properly dressed." Urahara shook his hand at me half-heartedly, not even bothering to hide his amusement. Of course, I couldn't let his challenge go unanswered.

"Guess that means you weren't very popular." I gave him my best faux-innocent smile. Point to me.

The blond shopkeeper was silent for a moment before he gave his own smile. "Oh, I'm sorry, where are your friends again?"

Ouch, that one hurt. Match point to him. "Touché boss, it's your victory. Now can you help me get this thing off of me?"

A few minutes of careful struggling, awkward maneuvering, and a fair few peck marks and scratches on the hands and faces of all those who had been present were rewarded with the bird finally flying away and leaving me free to rid my head of its partially constructed nest. As I brushed the last few twigs out of my head, Urahara decided to voice the question that was on everybody's mind. "All joking aside, why did you let a bird start building its nest in your hair?"

"I had to hide in a tree while I was spying on Rukia during her lunch period. It was either let it build its nest, or let it alert my quarry. Speaking of food, what's for dinner?"

"Rice, miso soup, and a few beef strips. It should be ready in about ten minutes." Tessai answered me as he headed to the back. "By the way, would you mind informing Jinta and Ururu? They haven't come down in a while."

"Sure thing. Just curious though, are you gonna be using the good beef?" I asked as I followed him towards the back before turning and heading up the stairs.

"Mm-hm."

"Oh goody! What's the occasion?" He didn't answer me for a moment, almost causing me to ask again in case he didn't hear me.

"Just felt like splurging for once."

I halted on the steps as I heard the faintest hints of…melancholy? "Everything okay?"

No answer for a while. "Yes, just…reminiscing."

I doubt that's really it, but if Tessai didn't want to talk, there wasn't anything I could do to get him talking. "Alright, if you say so."

Reaching the top of the stairs, I opened the door across from me to find Ururu and Jinta tugging on Kon's arms and legs. "Mind if I ask why you're playing tug-of-war with a mod-soul stuck in a cat plushie?"

"I'M A LION! SEE THE SEXY MANE AND HEART-THROB BODY? Oh, I get it; It's the stupid flower hairpin stuck to my ear! Listen, I didn't-" It was at this point I stomped him into the floor, taking care to place my foot on top of his mouth.

"So? What's with the kitten plushie?" I felt Kon start acting up again, so I just kept putting more weight on him until he stopped twitching. I'm sure he's fine.

"We were gonna rip him open to see how a he lived in a stuffed animal." I felt him start panicking at Jinta's answer. I knew he was okay. "…We were gonna put him back together after."

"Ah, well then." I lifted my foot for a moment so the kids could grab hold of him before reaching into my inventory and pulling out an assortment of different knives, hammers, and other instruments of torture I had collected before placing them in front of two, err, three of them. "Have fun. Dinner's in ten minutes."

"YOU CRAZY BASTARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THESE TWO ARE GONNA DO TO ME?"

"Why do you think I gave them those tools?"

"GAAAAAAAHHH-" I shut the door and headed back down stairs, uncaring of the perverted mod-souls fate.

XxxxXxxxX

10 minutes later

XxxxXxxxX

"And then, to finish them off, I used the Jinta Homerun and WHAM! WOOSH! You should've seen the ball fly!" Jinta's arms moved like whirlwinds as he bragged about his day playing ball with his friends, all the members of Urahara Shop sitting around the dinner table in a near perfect circle, with Urahara at the front, then Tessai on his right, followed by Jinta, Me, Ururu, and finally the cats occupy the spot to his left.

"You don't think it's kind of cheating to use a technique?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Of course not! It's only cheating if you get caught, until then it's skill." Jinta crossed his arms as short burst of steam came out of his nose.

Tessai adjusted his glasses before looking towards the red-head. "Is this why you weren't doing your chores today?"

A round of halfhearted chuckles chorused around the table as Jinta broke out in sweat as his eyes shifted between Ururu and I. "W-well what about them? What were they doing all day?"

"I did all my chores and then played with Kuroashi all day." Ururu smiled, the tiniest hint of mischief in her eyes. I felt myself get a little teary-eyed at the sight of it. They grow up so fast. Sweating even more heavily than before, he pointed to me this time.

Urahara decided to answer for me. "He was too busy stalking a girl."

I snorted indignantly and pointed my chopsticks at him when the kids looked at me with wide-eyed horror and surprise. "On your orders!"

When the blond opened his mouth to counter me, probably with a denial, Yoruichi intercepted him with a near perfect fake hurt in his/her/its voice. "Kisuke! How could you! Am I not enough for you?"

"B-b-but you were there when I told him to do it!" Urahara sputtered in surprise at the sudden betrayal of the woman-turned-feline.

"I believe that makes it even worse."

Urahara gasped in shock as he turned to his right. "Et tu, Tessai? Is there no one here to call my friend?"

"I think that question kind of answers itself." Jinta told him, a smirk that looked like an odd blend of Urahara's and my own gracing his face.

"Does this mean Mr. Urahara is a lonely pervert?" Ururu's question, delivered with one hundred percent near-genuine honesty, was the final nail in the coffin as Urahara pulled out a handkerchief and began crying into it. "Don't worry Mr. Urahara, Kuroashi still likes you."

As if on cue, the small kitten turned to the shopkeeper, whose face nearly beamed with hope as Kuroashi looked up to him.

Right before turning away with his nose up.

The sight of Urahara's face at being snubbed by a cat couldn't be described in mere mortal words, only howling laughter and thinly veiled chuckling.

After a few minutes of laughing and eating, Tessai stood up and began collecting our dishes so he could wash them. I was about to leave the table when I heard Urahara's voice. "Kyle, a moment."

I looked over to him to find he had a pair of shovels, one in each of his hands. "I'd like you and Ururu to use these."

Accepting the tool, I raised my eyebrow in faux-confusion. I knew what he wanted, I just didn't have any reasonable explanation for knowing. "What do you expect me to do with this?"

"Dig a hole. Why else would I give you a shovel?" Urahara looked at me like I was an idiot. And honestly, I kind of felt like it for giving him such an obvious one. "As deep as you can before you two have to go to bed; you're going to be accompanying Yoruichi for the next few days and you need your sleep."

I nodded my head, before I starting for the door to the backyard. "Where are you going?"

This time I looked at him like he was an idiot. After all, I had no way of knowing he meant dig a hole in the training room. "To dig a hole, like you asked me too?"

"Is Ururu going outside?"

I leaned back and looked down the hallway to see that Ururu was opening the hatch to the training room, before looking at Urahara with a glare. "You did that on purpose."

"My apologizes, I thought my instructions were simple enough as is." The shopkeeper didn't even bother trying to hide his smirk behind his fan. Ouch. If one were to listen really carefully, they would hear the sound of my pride getting the shit kicked out of it. The things I do to keep my cover.

Wait, shouldn't I be getting a quest?

 **Dig, dig, dig dig a ho-ole**

 **Objectives:**

 **Dig a hole within the time limit (0:00:00)**

 **Success: 8000 Exp**

 **Failure: 800 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **1000 Exp added per bonus completed**

Ah. There it is. Even has parody of a Lion King ½ song. Nice touch.

XxxxXxxxX

3rd Person POV

XxxxXxxxX

Tessai felt Kyle's energy follow Ururu into the lower level of the shop before the hatch closed and blocked his senses, absent mindedly scrubbing one of the plates as he stood alone in front of the sink before looking up towards the roof, a feeling of melancholy blooming in him, which had become increasingly common recently, as he spotted one of the few photos they kept in the shop, and the only one that had Kyle in it, taken by an amateur photographer in order to test his new camera. It hadn't taken much to 'convince' the boy to give the photo up.

It had been taken the day that they had all gone out for ice cream; Yoruichi flirting with the vendor so she could get their cones for free, Kyle pushing Jinta and Ururu on a saucer swing, and him standing next to Urahara as the two of them supervised the young ones. Tessai sighed as he returned to his task.

"I truly am going to miss these days."

XxxxXxxxX

Kyle's POV

XxxxXxxxX

After following Ururu down into the training room, we looked for a good place to start digging. I was half tempted to dig a hole right underneath the ladder as revenge for my broken pride. Would have done it too, had I not been sure Urahara would find a way to break my everything else while disguising it as training.

We didn't have to look far though. Apparently Urahara needed to take one last shot at me, because right there, in the middle of the room, was giant neon sign with the words 'DIG HERE' pointing down.

The ladder hole is looking more and more worth it.

After marking out where to dig, I promptly…disposed of the sign, and the two of us began digging. It was at times like this that I really enjoyed both my Gamer's Body and my increased stats. Rather than taking half an hour to get a few feet, Ururu and I had managed to carve out a two-meter-deep pit that spanned a at least four meters across in less than ten. It was like being in the center of an old Disney cartoon, dirt and dust flying out of the hole in veritable chunks. The best part though was after I had discovered that the activity increased both my STR and VIT. A quick party invite and Ururu was enjoying the same benefit, the two of us digging faster with each increase. The faster we dug, the easier it was to increase our STR and VIT. It was a cheap, broken, totally unfair cycle.

And it. Was. Beautiful.

 **Dig, dig, dig dig a ho-ole**

 **Objectives:**

 **Dig a hole within the time limit (3:00:00)**

 **Success: 8000 Exp**

 **Failure: 800 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **?**

 **1000 Exp added per bonus completed**

 **Quest Complete!**

Three hours, and four STR and three VIT later (six and seven for Ururu, respectively), I felt tired and on top of the world as the two of us opened up the hatch and climbed out. Offering my hand to Ururu out of courtesy to help her up, I heard the shop door open and let my senses out, feeling Urahara walk in with a barely alive Ichigo on his back. Walking out to meet him, I found my senses had been only partially correct; Ichigo's badly wounded spirit form was slung on Urahara's back while his physical body was…being dragged along the ground by its ankle. "You know, it really says something that you dragging in what would normally be seen as a pair of corpses doesn't register even a hint of worry or surprise in me."

"Yes, it means you have become an Igor worthy of the great Dr. Frankenstein. Now would you mind setting up a bed in the back room?"

"Yeth, Mathter. Right away." Pulling out my best Igor face, I limped to the closet and pulled out an extra futon before heading to one of the backrooms. After setting up the futon, I watched Urahara lay down Ichigo's now shirtless physical body before placing his soul on top. The moment the two fused though, Ichigo's chest and shoulder almost exploded with as the wounds from his soul appeared on his body. I was so damn taken back that I almost missed Urahara signaling me.

"Don't look so shocked; wounds on the soul are mirrored by the body. Do you have any potions?" Shaking out of my shock I reached into my inventory and pulled a few out, handing them to the blonde before he uncorked one and shoved it into Ichigo's mouth. As the red liquid drained down Ichigo's throat, I watched as his wounds slowly closed up. So that's what it looked like on someone else. "These things sure are convenient. Would you mind if I kept a few for study?"

"Go ahead, but that was my last one. You'll have to wait until I can farm some more in my IDs."

"Hmm, you can do that tomorrow. It looks like this one will be all that's needed for tonight." On a whim, I used Observe on the downed teen. And what I saw was not pretty.

 **Ichigo Kurosaki**

 **Lv: 26 Exp: 5.30%**

 **HP: 200/200**

 **MP: 175/175**

 **RP: 100/440**

 **STR: 8**

 **VIT: 8**

 **DEX: 8**

 **INT: 7**

 **WIS: 7**

 **LUK: 6**

 **Perks: N/A**

 **Buffs: N/A**

 **De-buffs: N/A**

Yikes. A far cry from what he used to be. At least this way it he only needed one potion. Ichigo groaning as he started to wake up drew my attention from his meagre stats.

"Nice to see you up, Ichigo." Urahara greeted the teen as he blinked his eyes awake.

"…Mr. Hat and Clogs?" Ichigo sat up and rubbed his eyes before looking around the room. "Is this your house?"

"Correct. You are currently in one of the backrooms of the Urahara Shop. As to why you are here, the boss is the one that can answer that." I told him as I leaned against the walls with my arms crossed. Ichigo turned to Urahara, the suspicion in his eyes shining like a pair of beacons.

"Are you the one who rescued me?" Wow, could he sound anymore ungrateful?

"Judging by the tone of your voice, it almost seems like you didn't want me to save you." Ichigo looked away and gripped his shoulder in what I assumed to be in embarrassment before his eyes went wide and his head swung to stare at the aforementioned part of his body.

"What the- I'm not hurt?" Ichigo switched his gaze to Urahara. "Did you heal me?"

"As much as I would like to take credit for it, my delivery boy here is responsible for your miraculous recovery." The blonde snapped his fan towards me as I waved at Ichigo before moving and picking up my now empty potion bottle.

"More specifically, one of my potions healed you." At Ichigo's questioning gaze, I decided to elaborate. "When your job is running around the city, you tend to pick up some really interesting items."

"So that potion is the reason the inside of my mouth tastes like strawberries." Despite being phrased like a question, his tone and glare made it apparent it was a statement. I still laughed at him though. Urahara did to, but he covered his mouth with his fan. Ichigo looked like he was probably going to call me out had something not obviously clicked in his mind. "Wait, what about Uryu? I remember that he helped. Is he here too?"

"No sir. He's already gone. He lost a lot of blood, but his wound wasn't vital. Even if I had just left him there, he wouldn't have died for at least a few days, so I just treated his injury on the spot. He was worried about you when he left."

"Uryu was worried about me? Yeah, right."

"It's true. When I told him to stay and rest, he just told me to heal you. He said that the only one who could save Rukia was you."

Ichigo actually looked shocked at what Urahara told him, before his mouth curved into a self-deprecating smile. "Only me? Heh, what the hell can I do? Rukia's already gone back to the Soul Society! How can I follow her there? How the hell am I supposed to rescue her? There's no way!"

By the end of it, Ichigo had started shouting, the despair and loss evident in his voice.

"Do really you think there's no other way into the Soul Society?" The hope that blossomed on Ichigo's face was almost blinding when he heard what Urahara had said.

"You mean, there is away? How?! How can I get there? Tell me!" Ichigo practically shot to his feet. I was half afraid he was going to hit the roof.

"Of course I'll tell you. On one condition." Urahara held up his finger as he spoke. "For the next ten days, you will learn how to fight properly with me."

It almost comical, no pun intended, at how quickly Ichigo's eyes widen from shock before they squinted in rage. "What the hell? So you're telling me to train? I don't have time for that! Rukia could be executed at any time! We have to get to the Soul Society as fast as possible!"

"How exasperating." Ichigo didn't have to blink before Urahara had used his cane to shove to the floor before holding the end right in front of Ichigo's face. "The point I want to make is: you will die if you go there in your current condition."

I had to hold back my surprise as an actual sword made out of focused Reiatsu appeared around Urahara's cane. I don't know if it was because his Zanpakuto was hidden in it, but either way it freaked me out a little despite being a good few feet away. No wonder Ichigo had been, and I guess currently was being, intimidated. "Do you honestly think you can win? I let you fight those two on purpose to show you just how far out of your depth you are. You're a weakling. A weakling barging into enemy territory is suicide. Rescuing Rukia? Don't be so childish."

Urahara moved his cane a little, staring right into Ichigo's eyes as he continued speaking. "Don't use others as an excuse to go kill yourself."

I glanced to the side as Yoruichi entered my range. Or more specifically, she allowed me to know she was in my range. If she wanted to, she could have walked right next to my feet and I wouldn't have noticed until she let me.

"The Soul Society has a grace period of about a month for a maximum penalty convicts' execution. It will be the same for Rukia; so I have about ten days to torture you, then seven days to open the Senkaimon, so after you get to the Soul Society you'll have thirteen days. Plenty of time." Urahara stood up and began pacing around the room as he spoke before he glanced back to Ichigo.

Ichigo was silent for a few moments before he looked at Urahara. "In ten days, can I become stronger?"

"Of course. That is, if you truly desire to save Rukia." The blond ex-captain turned to face Ichigo. "A strong will is stronger than steel. If your determination is anything less than whole hearted, you should give up now."

Urahara locked eyes with the teen as he spoke. "For ten days, can you be seriously determined to fight?"

"If I don't do it, nobody will." Ichigo's eyes practically burned with the desired determination. "Let's do this!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…well, what are you waiting for? Let start training!"

"Now? Do you have any idea what time it is? Besides, your body might be healed, but your spirit is still weak. You need rest. Go home and come back after school tomorrow." Urahara started making a shoo-ing motion with his fan as I stared at him like he was an idiot. Ichigo just glared us.

As the orange-haired teen fumed and stomped out of the front door, I turned to Urahara. "Okay, what's the real reason for sending him home? He's weak; not useless."

Tapping his fan to his chin, Urahara surprised me by actually giving me a straight answer, no jokes or pride-breaking jabs at all. I briefly wondered the world was coming to an end. "Three reasons actually. Care to guess what they are?"

 **A new Quest has been created.**

 **Three Reasons**

 **Objectives:**

 **Figure out what Urahara's reasons for sending Ichigo home are**

 **Success: 1000 Exp**

 **Failure: 100 Exp**

 **Bonus Objectives:**

 **None**

I shrugged in agreement and accepted the quest before closing my eyes in thought as I mulled over the possibilities, my tongue clicking against the roof of my mouth.

If it had been like canon, it would be so Ichigo could fully heal. But thanks to me, he's already fully healed, so that's out. The obvious one is to inform his friends and family that he's going to be away for a while. What else? I suppose that Urahara might be testing if Ichigo actually meant what he said and wasn't just riding an adrenaline or excitement high. But what's the last reason? After about ten minutes of silent mulling, I grit my teeth and told Urahara the two I had managed to think up, accepting my first quest failure and telling myself that at least it was for something unimportant. Still didn't stop me from wanting to bash my head into the ground until it cracked like an egg in desperation.

"Hmm, not bad. I honestly didn't think you'd get more than one."

My eye twitched a little. "Your confidence in me is astounding, it truly is. So, what's the third reason?"

Urahara removed his fan from his chin and looked to the roof of the shop for a moment before turning away from me and answering as he headed to the door. "I thought that he should have one last day of normality before he crosses into a place he can't step back from."

I felt my gaze soften as I watched Urahara leave.

I had forgotten; underneath all that scheming and eccentricity, this was a man who had lost almost everything, who knew that he was pulling several innocent, unknowing people into a world they should never have known about and potentially sacrificing them like pawns in a century long game of shadows between him and Aizen. And like a game between a pair of masters, there was no way of knowing who won until it was already over. I felt myself starting to smile in spite of my less then joyful thoughts.

Well, let's see if I can't tip the scales a little.

AN: It's funny how often I say that I hate my own writing, but nonetheless, I do. I really do. I wonder if it's because I might have a mild case of depression, or I set my expectations too high? Maybe it's both. Anyway, on to the markers.

[1] Whether or not I do these things as actual arcs, put them in as a single 'movie chapter', have them as separate stories, or don't do them at all will likely be decided by you guys.

Sorry, no Omake this week. A friend of mine asked why I hadn't done another Smash Bros. game sheet for one of the other characters. I told him it's because I only planned to do two or three characters from the get go.

And not because I hadn't shown enough of the other characters to actually make one. Definitely not that.


End file.
